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JAMES RILEY 



The Life of James Riley 

COMMONLY CALLED 

FARMER RILEY 

One of the World's Greatest 
Psychics 




A complete amT^ffcurate account of 
the wonderful manifestations pro- 
duced through his mediumship, at his 
home, and in different parts of the 
United States. And the Author's 
twenty -two years' experience in the 
investigation of psychic phenomena. 



¥ 



A. VLEREBOME, 



AUTHOR 






Copyright 0/^ Up 1911 by 
A. VLEREBOME & H. G. THOMPSON. 



THE WERNER COMPANY, AKRON, OHIO. 



S>CLA283437 



INTRODUCTORY. 

Knowing Mr. Riley to be an honest and a genuine 
materializing medium, while thousands have witnessed 
the phenomena at his home and in different parts of the 
country, all over the United States, I take pleasure in 
making known some of those manifestations. He is com- 
monly known as "Farmer Riley." 

In all the years that he has given this great truth to 
the people he has never made a charge for his services. 
Those who appreciated, usually donated. After all these 
years, Mr. Riley's condition financially is no better than 
when he received this beautiful phase. 

In writing Mr. Riley's life, which will be interesting to 
the Spiritualist, as well as to the investigator, I have two 
objects in view ; first, to benefit humanity, that it may 
learn more of this great truth; and second, to benefit 
Mr. Riley, since he has now arrived at an age where he 
should be permitted to live and enjoy the comforts of this 
life, for he has earned them, and the life of a medium is 
not all roses. 

And in conclusion, permit me to say that all things 
contained in this book are actual facts. They really took 
place. And all who read this book, even the most skep- 
tical, should be satisfied that the so-called dead do live. 
They never die. 

The Author. 



CONTENTS. 

Page. 
CHAPTER I. 

Beginning of Spirit Manifestation — The Camp — The Test 

—The Start 9 

CHAPTER II. 

Early Recollections — A Spirit Playmate — The Mother 

Love — The Voice — The Materialized Form 14 

CHAPTER III. 

Getting to Work — Home Sittings — Rules of the Game — 
Some Good Advice — The First Fact — Rappings — 
Slate Writing — John Benton 19 

CHAPTER IV. 

Sitting for Materialization — First Phenomena — Methods 
of Conducting a Seance — Conditions — One Point for 
Riley 27 

CHAPTER V. 

Jim's Home — His Family — Types of Americans — Mrs. 
Riley — The Boys — And Minnie — Views of a Skeptic 
—Odd Phenomena 33 

CHAPTER VI. 

A Night with Riley— The Dark Circle— The Materializ- 
ing Seance 39 

CHAPTER VII. 

Market Day in Marcellus — Local Politicians — Geo. Adams 
— Good Conditions at a Riley Seance — The Squire's 
Story — John Dewey 50 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Forms Appearing — Doctor Cottrell — The Great Test — 

Giving a Medium a Suggestive Treatment 57 

CHAPTER IX. 

An Interesting Seance in the Woods of Northern Michi- 
gan — The Phenomena — The Freckled Woman-Doctor 
Shillito — Inflammatory Rheumatism — A Spirit Pho- 
tograph 63 

CHAPTER X. 

Jim's Philosophy of the Hereafter — The Mission of 

Spirits — The Gospel Development 7° 



CONTENTS— Continued. 

Page. 

CHAPTER XL 

Jim's Philosophy of Mediumship — Vibrations — Sex Force 

— The Law of Materialization 77 

CHAPTER XII. 

Evil Manifestations — Disturbance in the Cabinet — Injur- 
ing the Medium — How the Evil Influences Came — 
Clyde Goodrich — Rev. Father Hogg — A Remarkable 
Case 82 

CHAPTER XIII. 

John Benton's Philosophy — Limitations of Spirit Power 

— Reincarnation — Skepticism — Doubts 91 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Explanations — Theories — Spiritualist's Explanations — 

Conclusions 96 

CHAPTER XV. 

A Small Seance — The Inspiration — Alcohol and Its Effect 

—The Logical Result 100 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Old Accounts — Adverse Influence — Clyde Goodrich's Ex- 
perience — Remarkable Seance 107 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Approach of an Adept — An Old Man — Abraham Lincoln 

— Materials for Materializing ,. Ill 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

No Test — The Music Box — Doctor Jones — Consolation 
— Mischief — Queer Phenomena — Spirit Incredulity — 
Deductions 115 

CHAPTER XIX. 

My First Sitting with Jim Twenty Years Ago when I 
was an Investigator — Great Results — Mrs. Riley 
Passes to the Other Life — Communicates with 
Martha — Jim Travels — Married Again — Her Medium- 
istic Powers — Poem Dedicated to Daisy — Poem to 
Jim from His Mother in Spirit Life 121 

CHAPTER XX. 

An Ancient Control — Interpretation of the Writing by 
Cora L. V. Richmond's Control, and by Mrs. Isa Wil- 
son Kaynor 128 



CONTENTS— Continued. 

Page. 

CHAPTER XXL 

A Very Interesting Seance — Remarkable Tests Given to 
Mr. Colvin — His Experience — Message from His 
Mother-in-Law and Wife — Message from Doctor 
Powell 132 

CHAPTER XXII. 

The Writer's Visit with Jim, May 1st, 1909— The Sitting 
That Evening — How the Book Came to be Written — 
Message from Mr. Benton — My First Introduction to 
Dr. Powell — His Message — Gasoline Traction Engine 
Built Under the Direction of a Spirit 135 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

A Tribute to Riley's Mediumship — Clippings from a Mon- 
roe, Mich., Paper — Also One from the Ft. Angeles, 
Wash., Paper 141 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

How to be En-Rapport with the Spiritual World, by G. 
S. K. — A Pleasant Account of a Visit to Farmer Riley 
from the " Progressive Thinker " — Another Letter 
from Minnesota from the Same Paper 147 

CHAPTER XXV. 

A Loving Tribute to Jim's Mediumship, Greater Than 
Lincoln — The Character of Familiar Spirits — L. A. 
Sherman Has Jim Come to His Residence at Pt. 
Huron, Mich., to Give Sittings 156 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Mr. Sherman Has a Sitting with Jim in Detroit, Mich. — 
Wireless Telegraphy Predicted by the Spirits in 1882 
— Sitting August 16th, 1909 — Jim Gives a Sitting at 
Camp Haslet Park; Four Hundred People Present, 
with Good Results 164 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

An Interesting Time with J. B. Hagerman, an Anti- 
Spiritualist Posing as a Medium and Finally De- 
nounced by the Ministers of Marcellus — The Soul is 
the Man — There is a Spiritual Body 173 



CONTENTS— Continued. 

Page. 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 

An Unexpected Seance — Spirit Artist Comes Back to 
Earth and Continues His Work — A Poem — Addressed 
to the Reader — Is Spiritualism a Fraud? — Never Seen 
An Evil Spirit — Low and Undeveloped Spirits 179 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

An Extraordinary Seance — Good Thoughts and Har- 
mony — An Address to the Readers of This Book by 
the Spirit of Dr. Powell, John Benton, and Others 
— Message to Mrs. Riley and Jim from His Mother — 
Materialization of Forms — A Spirit Carries the Music 
Box Weighing 18% Pounds Out of the Cabinet to 
the Writer— Good Night 188 

CHAPTER XXX. 

Christianity and Spiritualism Contrasted — A Mental 
Glimpse of the Toilers Ascending the Mount of 
Progress — What I Have Not Seen, and What I Have 
Seen — Our Watch Fires Are Burning — The Redemp- 
tion of Mankind — The Law of Heredity — Advice to 
All by a Noted Writer in Spirit Life 193 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

Surgeon W. S. Boyd — A Materialist's Experience — A 
Great Test and Its Results — A Greater Man Than 
Grover Cleveland— Sitting August 18th, 1909 207 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

Spirit Aphorisms — Mr. Burns, the Publisher of the "Next 
World," Interviewed — Wrote from England to the 
Medium, Mrs. Horn, Asking if She Could Induce the 
Spirit of Benjamin Franklin to Inform the Public 
Why so Many Mediums were Detected in Fraud and 
Why the Davenport Brothers had Degenerated Into 
Exhibitors of the Phenomena, at the Same Time 
Renouncing the Truths They Had Once Fostered — 
Franklin Appeared, But Would Only Answer His 
Questions by the Following Aphorisms from Spirit 
Land — Experience of a Reporter of the " Kalamazoo 
Gazette " 217 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Jim's Control, Mr. Benton, Instructs Him in Carpenter- 
ing when Building His House — Dark Circle — Spirit 



CONTENTS— Continued. 

Page. 
Lifts the Writer Off the Floor, Chair and All— Sitting 
at Detroit, at which a Doctor was Convinced That 
Jim was Genuine 229 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 

A Woman is Led to a Large Sum of Money by a Spirit 
Child— Mrs. F. W. Guilliford Finds Buried Treasure 
at Chattanooga, Tenn. — Martha, Her Psychic Con- 
trol, Directs Her to Spot She Had Never Seen; 
Would Return the Money to Owner if He Could be 
Found 235 

CHAPTER XXXV. 

Bishop Samuel Fallows, of the Reformed Episcopal 
Church, Says He Believes in Spiritualism — Prelate 
Says Science and the Bible Prove That the Dead Re- 
turn; Calls It Immortalism — Fine Manifestations, 
Sept. 3rd and 4th, 1909 — O. W. Barnard's Experience 
at Jim's, Dec. 29th, 1903 — Secular Paper Sends a Re- 
port to Jim — Reports the People Wild Over Riley.. 241 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 

Seance Held at Detroit, Mich. — Letter from a Prominent 

Physician of Ft. Wayne, Ind 250 

CHAPTER XXXVII. 

Excellent Manifestations Through Jim's Mediumship at 
Haslet Park, Mich. — Master Masons Materialize and 
Give the Grips and Signs of the Order — Beal Litch- 
field's Summary of What He Learned in Forty Years' 
Intercourse with the Denizens of the Spirit World.. 259 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

Reformation Brought About by Loving Spirits — Extraor- 
dinary Seance — Forms Materialize with the Curtain 
Up — Talk as Never Before — Jim Gets Scared at Spirit 
Form — A Daisy Brought from the Yard and Placed 
Between Two Slates — Mr. Benton's Reply About the 
Benton Harbor Psychic — Slate Writing 271 

CHAPTER XXXIX. 

The Author's Experience, which Consisted of Trumpet 
Talking in the Dark; Trumpet Talking in the Light; 
Automatic Writing Backward; Clairvoyance and 
Talking to the Spirits Over the Automatic 'Phone . . 279 



CHAPTER I. 

Beginning of Spirit Manifestation — The Camp — The Test — The 

Start. 

James Riley, commonly known as "Farmer Riley", was 
born in Philadelphia, August 18th, 1843, and at this writ- 
ing, August 7th, 1909, is almost sixty-six years old. His 
mother died early, leaving a family of three boys and two 
girls in care of the father, who held the place as foreman 
in a boiler works in the East. The business of the boiler 
works sent his father to California. He placed his chil- 
dren with a neighbor, agreeing to send a stipulated sum 
each month for their board, and signed the contract 
which called him to the coast for a period of two years. 
The neighbor, in the interim, moved with his belongings 
to Michigan, brought the Riley family, of whom Jim was 
the eldest, with him, and settled in Cass County. 

When Riley, Sr., returned, he bought a piece of land 
in this same locality and built a house thereon, putting 
Jim's sister, then married, and her husband in charge 
of the place while he returned to California to complete 
his job. After two years' residence on the coast, he re- 
turned to the Michigan home to live, bought another 
piece of land, built a house, put his second daughter, un- 
married, at the head of the board, with his three boys, 
Jim, George, and Charlie as efficient help, and there lived 
in comparative comfort for many years. 

As the book deals chiefly with Jim and his work, we 

9 



will omit the further history of the family, pausing long 
enough to note that the several members are settled in 
comfort around the district, and are held in respect by 
their neighbors, as coming from strong and sturdy stock. 

At the age of three years Jim seemed to have the gift 
of clairvoyance, and had for his playmates spirit children 
quite often. Between the ages of seven and eight, neigh- 
bors would come to his home and take him to their homes 
to witness table tippings. Often three big men would 
sit on the table and try to hold it down, but they could 
not do so. These manifestations caused considerable 
excitement. People came flocking to his home, but his 
father would not permit him to produce the manifesta- 
tions any more and put a stop to it. 

When Jim was thirteen years old he left home to be 
independent, and from that day until the War broke out 
in 1861, he worked for farmers in the surrounding neigh- 
borhood, thereby becoming as well known as the oldest 
citizen. My object in being explicit about where he lived 
is to satisfy the reader of this book that he has been a 
resident in that part of Michigan all his life, was well- 
known, was honest, and would not perpetuate a fraud of 
any description. 

When war broke out between the North and the 
South, Jim enlisted in the Forty-Second Illinois Infantry, 
serving three years and eleven months. He took part in 
the battles of Shiloh, siege of Corinth, Stone River, and 
Chickamauga. Was wounded in the arm at Chickamauga. 
He was also in those battles in the campaign from Chat- 
tanooga to Atlanta under fire ninety days and ninety 
nights, the engagement at Peach Tree Creek, Jonesboro, 
Franklin, and Nashville. In June '65, Jim came home 

10 



and married Martha A. Nichols. Martha was living with 
her mother in the old township, and after her marriage 
continued to dwell in the neighborhood with her husband. 
Jim said he liked no place so well as the old county, and 
in '65 settled down for good. Several sons and daughters 
were born to them, of whom seven are yet living and 
married. His wife passed over April, 1903. 

The home life of this couple was peaceful and happy. 
The problem of immortality, according to the orthodox 
belief, did not satisfy Jim. In the summer of '85, twenty 
years after his marriage, Jim, then a pronounced agnos- 
tic, visited the Spiritualist camp at Lake Cora, in Van 
Bur en county. The principal speakers were A. B. French 
of Clyde, Ohio, and Mrs. Lake of California. French 
was a forceful speaker, and an orator, and his lecture 
made an impression on Jim. After the morning lectures 
at the camp and the afternoon speeches and tests, the 
tables were laid for dinner, and a party of friends was 
gathered about, with Jim at one end of the board. "When 
you see a real medium," said Jim, "point him out to me, 
because I want to take a good look at him. I've never 
seen one." "Here comes one," some one said, "It's 
Charlie Barnes and he is coming right this way!" Sure 
enough, Charlie Barnes, with his eyes closed, was moving 
down in the direction of the group at the end of the 
long table. 

"That a medium ?" said Jim, "That can't be a medium, 
surely! I thought from what I'd heard that they are 
something different to look at, not like you and me." 
Barnes kept coming on, and when he reached the group, 
he straightened up and saluted them like a soldier. Some 

11 



one of the party said, "It's for you Jim!" Jim said, 
"What's for me?" He had been suddenly "let down." He 
had his own ideas of what a medium was like, and here 
was "a little, insignificant, red-eyed chap!" "I can't ever 
forget how he looked, and how I felt when he came up 
to me" — is Jim's way of putting the matter. But his 
friends said, "It's a test for you; you should go up to 
him and take his hand." 

So Jim arose and took Mr. Barnes by the hand, saying 
gruffly, "Who are you?" Mr. Barnes replied, in a sub- 
dued voice, "I'm Jeff Boyd." Jim said afterwards that 
he hadn't thought of Jeff Boyd for perhaps a year pre- 
vious to that moment, had well-nigh forgotten that such 
a man had ever lived, most certainly had never spoken to 
any one in the camp, and doubted whether any one in 
the camp outside of his own friends knew he had ever 
been in the army. So Jim braced himself again and said, 
"If you're Jeff Boyd, where were you shot?" and Mr. 
Barnes, or Jeff Boyd replied, "At Franklin, Tennessee." 
"Correct." But Jim had one shot left, "I mean in what 
part of the body were you struck?" he asked. "Right 
here," the medium said, pointing to his forehead, right 
between the eyes. Then he proceeded to give other tests, 
such as pulling an imaginary pack of cards from his 
pocket and shuffling them ; Jeff Boyd and Jim had often 
played cards together in the old camp days. 

It took away Jim's appetite, and he got up from the 
table and wandered away by himself. He said he wanted 
to figure it out alone. Later in the day he drifted back 
again to the camp and listened to the public address. By 
and by one of the people, sitting next to him began to 

13 



jerk and quiver, and finally jumped up, gesticulating 
wildly. "What's the matter there?" asked Jim. "He's 
controlled," they told him. "Is that 'spirit control' that 
we hear so much about?" asked Jim. Just then the con- 
trolled one gave vent to a war whoop and began an un- 
couth dance on his own account. "Yes, he's controlled 
by an Indian," they told Jim. That settled it "Of all 
the damn fool business," he said, and went home, dis- 
gusted ; nor did he attend another camp meeting for many 
a day. 

But the leaven was working. There was no getting 
around the communication from Jeff Boyd, and Jim de- 
termined that there was only one dead sure way by 
which he might know the truth for himself ; and that was 
to sit for the phenomena himself at home, in company 
with his good wife. They were not Spiritualists; they 
were not bigoted one way or the other ; they both wanted 
the facts and no more. Therefore, anything they re- 
ceived they could depend upon as genuine at least. So 
twenty years after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. James 
Riley, in their little Michigan home, began to sit for spirit 
phenomena, willing to pay the price of a long apprentice- 
ship of waiting, if, perchance, they might find the an- 
swer to the query "If a man die, shall he live again ?" 



13 



CHAPTER II. 

Early Recollections— A Spirit Playmate— The Mother Love — The 
Voice — The Materialized Form. 

You will remember its being mentioned at the begin- 
ning of the last chapter that Jim Riley's mother died 
early. He was about six years old at the time. His 
earliest recollection, however, is of a somewhat peculiar 
incident which should be set down before we go further. 
Just this one scene painted on the canvas of his infan- 
tile mind, remains indelible. He remembers playing, 
during his mother's absence, with a little girl with light 
hair in ringlets, and a round face — a very beautiful child ; 
very kind and considerate she seemed to be in her play 
with him. He puts this experience at about the time when 
he was not four years old, scarcely more than three years. 
His mother was in the habit of going out and leaving 
him alone. He remembers distinctly this one instance 
of playing with the child. When his mother returned this 
day he felt angry and abused because just as his mother 
entered the room, the little girl, his playmate, disap- 
peared. 

About a year after his mother's death, and before his 
father returned from California, the neighbor in whose 
charge Jim and his brother had been placed, moved, as 
has been said, to Michigan. Michigan was a wild enough 

14 



place in those days. There were no roads in that part 
of the country ; just trails, blazed through the woods. 
After dark, the children being early put to bed, the 
neighbor in question and his wife used to hitch up the 
oxen and "go a'visitin 5 ", leaving the house securely fast- 
ened, with three badly scared children abed. 

Jim says that every night, while they lay there quak- 
ing, some one used to lie across the foot of the bed — 
they all slept in one bed — lie right across their legs and 
frighten them worse than ever. They often talked of this 
among themselves, and were mortally afraid of it; even 
told their foster parents, but they said it was all non- 
sense. This never being visible, it never was to be seen 
or felt when daylight came, but every night if they were 
left alone, this being would come and stay with them 
till they went to sleep. This shows that when the spirit 
forces find an instrument through which they can mani- 
fest in order to be able to show to people on earth, that 
they still live, they are frequently more anxious to com- 
municate with those on earth than those on earth are to 
have them do so. 

People say, "What good does Spiritualism do?" In 
a later chapter we will tell you. If those who make such 
a remark would take the trouble to investigate, they 
could answer their own question. 

In after years, when Jim got into communication with 
intelligences without, his mother's spirit informed him 
that it was she, herself, who thus came to her lonely 
children, and when put the not unnatural query, "Why 
did you come when you knew it scared us worse than 
ever ?" she replied that she could not help it. Her mother- 
love drew her and she had to come. Just about this 

15 



time, that is, before his father returned from California, 
Jim remembers his foster parents taking him sometimes 
to visit the neighbors, and he has the recollection of being 
frequently seated in a high-chair at a table, and of being 
told to put his hands on it. Then how or why, he knew 
not, the table would begin to move and twirl about, and 
no man in the room, though many tried, was strong 
enough to hold the table down and keep it still. This 
recollection is hazy in its details, but quite clear in its 
salient facts. There is a man by the name of John Little, 
yet living in this neighborhood, who was then a young 
man, and who just eleven years ago, 1899, met Jim and 
refreshed the latter's memory on some of the details, he, 
Little, having been present on more than one occasion 
when these manifestations were in progress. "Once," 
Little said, "the table was torn all to pieces." Jim has no 
recollection of this ; however, he remembers that the table 
moved somehow, and he remembers also, that he was 
made to sit up there in a high-chair when he would have 
much preferred playing with the other children. 

When Jim's father came back from California, how- 
ever, there was no more of this. Riley, Sr., put a stop 
to all such things, as he called it all foolishness. He was 
a good parent, though a trifle stern, and he did not spare 
the correcting hand when Jim fell short of his ideal of a 
son. It was after a "seance" with his father in the 
woodshed, that Jim, hot in temper, and artificially 
warmed in person, resolved to run away from home and 
be independent henceforth of parental discipline. 

We find then, in Jim's childhood and boyhood, in- 
stances of phenomena of two distinct varieties : the ma- 
terialized forms of the playfellow, and his mother; and 

16 



the force, with or without intelligence, which moved the 
inanimate object, the table. There is yet to be added a 
third to these. All his life Riley has heard a voice in the 
daylight, as in the darkness, sometimes admonishing, 
sometimes encouraging, sometimes prophesying, but al- 
ways speaking truth. Strange to say, he attached little 
importance to this monitor, so far as its having a spirit- 
ual existence goes, accepting it as something he could 
not account for, and perhaps unconsciously ascribing it 
to a manifestation of his own subconsciousness. Riley 
remarks that he has always felt as though it was some- 
how a part of himself, and he lets it go at that. 

In its proper place we shall deal with the greatest of 
Riley's manifestations, his materializations ; but because 
of the introduction of his golden-haired playmate at the 
opening of this chapter, we must make mention of a 
fact which is quite important to remembe'r. As this 
child constituted the first of his spirit friends in his re- 
membrance, so is she the only materialized form which 
he has ever beheld himself, and it came about in this 
way. After he had been practicing mediumship, and get- 
ting materialization for many years, he was sitting once 
at the table in his home, reading one evening. The lamp 
was lit, and he noticed that the cloth on the table — it 
was a very long cloth, reaching nearly to the floor — 
began to wave to and fro. He supposed that one of 
the children was under the table and said, "Be careful 
now, if you get up suddenly, you'll likely upset the lamp." 
His wife called to him from the next room to inquire to 
whom he was talking, and Jim replied, "There's one of 
the children here, hiding under the table." She said, 
"That can't be ; they're all here with me." Just then the 

17 



i 



table cloth was pulled aside, and lifted, and he saw the 
face of his little playmate, — size, hair, eyes, etc., just as 
she had been when he played with her as a child. He 
saw her, and then she was gone ; nor has he ever found 
out who she was, or seen her again. 

At the time he was, so far as he knows, in his ordinary 
normal condition, far removed from the trance state, 
being able to converse with his wife, and to reason about 
the danger to the lamp. Of all the materializations of 
which he has been the instrument, and to which he has 
been subject, this remains the only one of which he has 
been conscious, the only one which he could see with his 
own eyes, and speak to. From the time when his father 
returned from California, till the day when, twenty years 
after his marriage, Riley sat down with his wife to see 
what he could get for himself, he had received no mani- 
festations of any psychic order save the voice ; had heard 
of Spiritualism only as of something remote, vague and 
unreal, and had paid no attention to the voice (which 
still communicated with him) as having a psychic or 
spiritual importance. There were no visions, or rappings, 
or materialized forms for him for an unbroken period of 
nearly thirty-five years. 



18 



CHAPTER III. 

Getting to Work — Home Sittings — Rules of the Game — Some 
Good Advice — The First Fact — Rappings — Slate Writing — 
John Benton. 

We are now coming to the most interesting part of 
Jim's life. Jim and his wife resolved to see "what they 
could get" by sittings by themselves. After supper they 
sat down each at one end of an oval dining-table which 
had one leaf in it. It was a heavy piece of furniture, 
difficult to move at any time. Jim said, "Martha, if this 
table moves for you and me, we know it is not we who 
move it." To which Martha, being a woman of few words, 
responded by a nod. They sat facing each other, talking 
when the mood struck them, but mostly silent, night after 
night without missing a sitting, for six months. At the 
end of every night's seance, they wondered whether it 
was any use continuing, but as sure as the next night 
came it found them in their accustomed places, eager to 
begin again. Strange, was it not, that the force which 
had moved and broken the table for the boy of seven, 
would not appear at the desire of the man, grown? 
Strange, too, that the force was undesired by the boy 
and yet manifested; was earnestly desired by the man, 
yet failed to make itself known? 

This should satisfy us that the human will or purpose 
has less to do with the manifestations, than a complais- 

19 



ance on the part of the force itself, a willingness or de- 
sire on the part of the force to manifest being apparently 
of more importance than a desire on the part of the sit- 
ters to witness manifestations. This is a point which in- 
vestigators of phenomena seem to continually overlook 
or avoid. First, they grant to the control, or guiding 
spirit, intelligence. Having admitted intelligence, they 
seek to coerce; they do not say, "Come, if you can," or 
"Manifest, if you can," or "Bring us anything you can." 
They say, "Give us some evidence that you are what you 
claim to be," and when they do manifest, some will say, 
"Is that you, John?" Spirit will reply in the affirmative. 
The next question will be, "John, what do you want?" 
Nice reception he gets. That is not a reasonable attitude 
of mind. A medium is required for the manifestation of 
this force, whatever it may be, and whatever form it may 
take. That medium, or subject, is a human being. How 
then is it possible to dictate to those forces which govern 
one of our number, using him as an instrument through 
which they show their verity? Can the governed impose 
terms upon the governor? As long as we live our lives 
apart from the phenomena which we call occult or spirit- 
ual, we are asking no favor ; but as soon as we enter the 
atmosphere of the unknown and seek to wrest from the 
invisible its secret and power, we become subject to the 
invisible. 

We should, therefore, approach the investigation of 
spirit phenomena in the mental attitude of one who de- 
mands nothing as his right, because in that field we have 
no rights; it is not our field. If we enter the territory, 
we become subject to its laws. Many of us would greatly 
desire to invade it, sword in hand, as conquerors. There- 
to 



fore, let us put, off our shoes and our pride when we seek 
to enter the presence of those mysteries which lie beyond 
the threshold of consciousness, because the ground is 
holy, and we have no business there, by right. If we 
learn anything, gather any new truths, find any solid 
comfort therein for our own uplifting, it is a special per- 
sonal advantage, accorded to us by sufferance of the 
keepers of the mysteries. The door is opened because 
they are willing we should see, not because we have 
forced the lock by our own skill and prowess. We have 
no skill, and we have no prowess ; we have no power, and 
we have no rights which can prevail against the forces 
invisible. Therefore, come we as suppliants — peace en- 
voys, with humility and love, or let us stay away. Keep 
we to our own world, if we cannot observe the rights of 
citizens of another. 

Think, for a moment, how blindly and brutishly men 
make demands upon the spirits of the departed. "Show 
us !" they say. "Tell us, give us, prove to us !" Always 
a demand, even when there is a despairing cry for recog- 
nition, a despairing love, — the same old imperious note, 
thinly disguised, vibrates continuously. It is always an 
endeavor to compel, a cry for personal satisfaction ; a 
mother wants news of her babe, a husband asks for his 
wife. Why? For personal satisfaction — to still the an- 
guish of the heart — to assuage the grief — to satisfy the 
love to satisfy; to appease mostly, no doubt, but self- 
centered, imperious, demanding. This is not the spirit 
of the one to whom light is given. To know of these 
matters for a certainty, one must give all, and ask noth- 
ing, and wait ; thus, shall he know. 

On the particular night when the table moved for Mr. 

21 



and Mrs. Riley, they had spent perhaps three hours over 
the sitting, sometimes talking together, sometimes silent, 
with their hands outstretched, palms downward, resting 
on the table, when Jim said, "I don't believe it's any use 
sitting longer tonight," an echo of the same remark he 
had made every night for months back; to which Mrs. 
Riley answered, "It's early yet; we might as well sit 
here as any where else." Not five minutes after, the 
table moved sideways about two feet; there was no mis- 
take about it ; the forces had come ! Jim knew he had 
not pushed that table himself; he knew that his wife 
could not move it from where she sat, even if she had 
been so inclined, which in itself was absurd. So, after 
six months of waiting, they got their first fact. 

Then they began to ask for more information. They 
said, "If this is a spirit moving this table, please move 
it to the left." The table obediently moved over to the 
left about ten inches. Then this table at which they had 
been sitting for six months, without being able to get the 
smallest perceptible movement from it, began to quiver 
and vibrate, and move a little back and forth like a fret- 
ting steed, impatient to be off. The movements, in reply 
to questions, became more free and instantaneous. The 
table began twisting about in such a manner that the two 
sitters had to get out of their chairs and move about the 
room with it. Then Mrs. Riley said, "If this is the spirit 
of Ezra, (her brother, killed in '64 in the siege of At- 
lanta) will the table move back to the right?" The table 
moved back and they decided that that would do for 
that evening, or morning — it was then 3 A. M. 

That was an exciting time for Mr. Riley and his good 
wife. The next night Riley assisted in drying the dishes 

22 



after supper, so anxious was he to get to the tests. The 
forces were quickly in evidence; from this time on, in- 
deed, the table moved almost as soon as they laid their 
hands upon it, but it, would not move for Mr. Riley alone, 
nor for his wife alone. Now a new phase presented 
itself. The table, after moving about first to one side, 
then to another, showed a desire to rear up on two legs, 
and thus it came about that "raps" first came to Riley. 
Upon being asked to rap three times for "yes," and once 
for "no," the table promptly responded, and by running 
the alphabet from A to Z, the sitters were enabled to 
converse with the forces. The table would rest uplifted 
on two legs till the letter E was reached by the sitters in 
their catechism, when it would drop to all fours again; 
then it would tilt up till the next letter was reached, and 
so on through the whole word. When the word was 
finished, the table would remain on all fours. Thus the 
word "Ezra" was spelled out every evening. During 
these early seances Ezra, the spirit of Mrs. Riley's 
brother would announce himself by rapping out, "Dear 
sister, I come from the banks of the Chattahoochee river 
to greet you." 

Meanwhile there was great commotion over these 
phenomena outside of the Riley household. People came 
in parties, after working hours, from the district round 
about. Neighbors tied their horses in the yard and gath- 
ered in the Riley kitchen to discuss and witness the phe- 
nomena, and the fame thereof spread throughout the 
country. Various and many were the theories put for- 
ward to account for the manifestations, none being quite 
so satisfactory as the simple and direct agency of re- 
turned spirits of the departed. Strange and startling in- 

23 



formation was vouchsafed; prophecies were made and 
fulfilled; past happenings and tragedies, hitherto undis- 
covered and unsuspected, were revealed by the table tip- 
ping and rappings, and yet more was continually de- 
manded. 

After a month of the table tipping, the genuine "raps" 
without the movement of the table began to come ap- 
parently as readily upon, within, or under the table. The 
location of the raps seemed difficult, but their employ- 
ment rendered the task of interpreting the message more 
speedy, which was a very desirable point, and a distinct 
gain to the sitters. 

But while the phenomena at the Riley home in the pres- 
ence of strangers were very wonderful, the finest mani- 
festations were received in the presence and in the homes 
of members of the family. The eldest of their children, 
Emma, was married to Samuel Billingham, and it was at 
their home that the first slate writing was received. This 
occurred after nearly a year had been spent in receiving 
the phenomena of table tipping and raps. The forces had 
been very strong one evening, and Emma said, "Father, 
I believe they could write on the slate." The notion was 
not encouraged, but Emma decided to see for herself, and 
she put a slate and pencil on the table, covering the same 
with a large bowl, which she inverted. The assembled 
company then joined hands and sang hymns, their voices 
dying away as they heard the rattling or tapping of the 
pencil under the bowl. The pencil then seemed to be 
writing and dropped, after which there was silence. 

The company asked if the message was delivered, and 
three taps of the pencil announced that it was ended. 

24 



One of the company suggested that they finish the sit- 
ting before reading the message, when the inverted jar 
was suddenly thrown off the table and shattered. The 
daughter, Mrs. Billingham, then took the slate, and going 
to the light read the word "Mother" written on it. In 
answer to questions, the "force" at the table rapped the 
information that the spirit manifesting the slate writing 
was Jim Riley's mother. They sat for a long time that 
evening, but received no more messages on the slate ; but 
after this breaking of the ice, slate writing became the 
accepted means of communication, and was regarded as 
a higher phase of manifestation by one step than the 
rapping. The method followed was invariably the same, 
the company sitting about the table, placing their hands 
on it, the light turned low, or turned out altogether, the 
slate lying in the middle of the table with a small piece 
of slate pencil placed on or in it. 

John Benton, Riley's control, or guide as he is called, 
the spirit who cares for and conducts the seances which 
the medium holds, first manifested his presence by writ- 
ing his name upon the slate at one of the slate-writing 
circles. This happened at a neighbor's house, somewhere 
about the year '86 or '87, and since that day the spirit of 
John Benton, or the intelligence calling itself John Ben- 
ton, has remained installed as Riley's chief control. At 
a seance at his (Riley's) home, the intelligence wrote 
on the slate, "I am sent here to take charge of this 
medium." Signed, John Benton. The faithful circle 
sat all that winter, getting raps and slate writing and 
for two months at their meetings they discussed a mes- 
sage of John Benton's written upon the slate, which 

25 



read, "I want my medium to sit for materialization." 
But to this Riley was opposed. He had, up to this time, 
been as much of a spectator in the sittings as any in the 
audience. He had discussed and questioned. The idea 
was distasteful to him, that he should be made the un- 
conscious instrument of phenomena which he could not 
analyze. 



v.e 



CHAPTER IV. 

Sitting for Materialization — First Phenomena— Methods of Con- 
ducting a Seance — Conditions — One Point for Riley. 

Finally after much discussion of the question, tossing it 
to and fro at their meetings, argueing pro and con, Riley 
agreed to sit for materialization, provided that his guide, 
John Benton, would take complete charge of the circle 
and manifestations even to the preparatory step of select- 
ing the members who> were to compose the circle. This, 
John Benton agreed to do, naming the persons who were 
to be admitted. The plan now followed out was to hold 
these meetings for materialization every Saturday night, 
sitting the first week at one house, then at another and 
so on around the circle. The company sat a long while 
before success crowned their efforts ; many weeks went 
by before a single materialization occurred, but at length 
at the house of Mr. James, one of the circle, a hand 
materialized, waved through the curtains, and disap- 
peared. 

Riley's method of sitting for materialization has been 
but slightly varied all these years. He first sits in the 
room with the rest of the company, chatting upon any 
topics of interest, and encouraging general conversation. 
He is waiting for the impulse or "impression" to begin, 
to strike him. When this comes he is moved to get up 

27 



and signify to the company that he is ready. They pass 
into another room, off of which lies a smaller room which 
serves as a cabinet for the medium. A chair is placed 
in this smaller room, in which the medium sits during 
the seance. The members of the circle range their chairs 
in the form usually of an arc or semi-circle about the 
door of the smaller room ; a black curtain, or better still, 
two black curtains, opening in the center to permit being 
thrown easily back from within or without, hang sus- 
pended over the entrance to the smaller room or cabinet, 
the door of which is either allowed to remain wide open, 
or taken away entirely. The smaller room or cabinet 
contains no window through which light can penetrate. 
If there is a window it must be closed up with heavy 
covering, for the medium's cabinet must be entirely dark 
when the curtain is dropped in front of the entrance. 
The medium requires nothing within the cabinet except 
the chair upon which he sits. 

When he is ready to begin, Riley enters the cabinet and 
the curtain is carefully dropped by those without to ex- 
clude the light. The lights in the room are turned low, 
but not so low that the members of the circle cannot 
easily recognize each other's features. It is not necessary 
that hands should be joined, or feet set squarely on the 
floor, and general conversation is encouraged, such con- 
versation being very difficult to pursue when members of 
the circle are anxiously awaiting the appearance of 
friends departed from this life. The singing of hymns 
is invited, and the endeavor is made to bring all members 
of the circle into harmonious accord. This can best be 
defined by saying that if a great wave of enthusiastic de- 
votion, such as is obtained at a revival meeting in a 

28 



Methodist camp could possess the members of this circle, 
then the conditions for the presentation of strong (which 
means distinct and enduring) phenomena would be pres- 
ent. According to John Benton, Riley's control, the con- 
ditions brought by the circle chiefly determine the re- 
sults of the seance — the phenomena. 

There are many things to be taken into account, namely 
the physical condition of the medium at the time of giv- 
ing the seance; the mental condition of the medium at 
the time of giving the seance; for instance, whether 
physically fatigued or worried; or back of this again, 
there are sometimes spiritual conditions which the me- 
dium cannot fathom, and concerning which John Benton 
can give no information, and which prevent good phe- 
nomena. Sometimes, for no reason that anyone can dis- 
cover, there are no phenomena for a whole evening ; and 
sometimes, with identically the same persons in the same 
circle, the phenomena are plentiful. However, it may be 
laid down as axiomatic that, for the production of the 
best phenomena, there must exist the strongest bonds of 
harmony between the spirit force, the medium, and the 
members of the circle. When these are in accord, con- 
ditions are what they call right, and successful demon- 
strations are witnessed. 

Upon entering the cabinet for materialization, Riley 
sits in the chair provided for him, and leans his head in 
his hands. His endeavor is now to make himself purely 
negative mentally, to dissever his thoughts from any- 
thing that has interested or disturbed him during the 
day, and, in a word, to concentrate upon nothing. At 
first he experiences a peculiar nervousness connected 

29 



with this phase of mediumship. It is to him a good deal 
like his fancy pictures the entering into the Valley of the 
Shadow of Death. He has the sensation of floating 
away ; his head feels light and swollen to twice its size ; 
as though it is expanding, — going up, and carrying him 
with it ; and then he knows no more until he comes out 
from under the influence. 

Here enters another factor in determining the length 
of time which he can remain under control. It might be 
supposed that this depends almost entirely upon the 
spirit-guides, or upon Riley himself. According to John 
Benton, this is not the case; it depends upon the condi- 
tions furnished by the circle. If the conditions are not 
good, they — the spirit-guides — do not hold him, and he 
comes out quickly from his trance. Again, if the con- 
ditions are not good, the forms manifesting are weak, 
they are either indistinct, or they can show themselves 
but for an instant and then disappear. Or they may be 
unable to gather force sufficient to even show themselves 
at all, the limit of their strength resulting in a mere wav- 
ing of the curtains to and fro as if weak hands were 
'plucking at its folds. 

Riley's materializations take the form chiefly of men 
attired in evening dress of an old-fashioned cut, and it 
is seldom that faces alone are seen. The form is usually 
complete, from head to foot, but of the characteristics of 
these forms, I shall speak more fully in another chapter. 
After materialization begins, the members of the circle 
are required to sing to strengthen the vibrations, the 
theory being not unreasonable that while singing, they 
are less apt to hinder the manifestations by a too search- 

30 



ing anxiety or by fear, and singing produces harmony. 
After perhaps fifteen minutes of trance, there is heard 
a cough from Riley behind the curtain, which means that 
he has been brought out of the trance by his control, Mr. 
Benton, and the curtain is then thrown back at once and 
the lights in the room are turned up. 

He usually comes out of the cabinet now, and walks 
about the room and his wife usually has a cup of tea 
ready for him. He takes an interval of about ten min- 
utes between each sitting, and then re-enters the cabinet. 
Singing is resumed in which Jim joins, and when he 
stops singing his wife will remark that they have "got" 
him. The phenomena now are much stronger, and when 
such is the case, he will remain in the cabinet for thirty 
minutes, and as many as ten or twelve forms materialize. 

There is one point to which your attention is especially 
invited, as significant of the probability that the medium's 
physical condition has much to do with the success of 
the manifestations. This point is that Riley is now sixty- 
six years of age, and the phenomena of materialization 
are just as quick and the forms come out in front of the 
sitters, walk out into the room ; and I have seen Mr. 
Benton, Riley's control, pick up Riley's little girl, four 
years old, and carry her around the room. This was 
fifteen years ago. It is permitted to every reader to draw 
his own conclusions from the facts presented in this 
biography, nevertheless I should be wanting in my duty, 
if I failed to point out the significance of this apparently 
irrelevant fact in its bearing upon the genuineness of the 
phenomena presented. 

When the forms are materializing you can hear Mr. 

31 



Benton encouraging the spirits to materialize like this: 
"Be patient, and you can show yourself," or "Be careful 
and do not get excited and you can build your spirit 
form." To the merest novice in deductive reasoning, it 
must be evident that if these phenomena are fraudulent, 
the constant practice furnished by the work of years 
would permit an increasing celerity of execution and 
consequent improvement in the variety and number of 
spirit-forms at each succeeding seance whereas precisely 
the opposite result obtains; and though this result pre- 
sages the decline of the powers of a great medium, it 
counts one for the honesty of his manifestations, express- 
ing as it does the inevitable law of physical existence 
with resistless logic; the law of development and decay. 



32 



CHAPTER V. 

Jim's Home — His family — Types of Americans — Mrs. Riley, 
THe Boys, and Minnie — Views of a Skeptic — Odd Phe- 
nomena. 

To go back some fifteen years. Jim Riley's house 
stands just off the road, about three and a half miles 
from Marcellus, Mich. The house is of the cottage 
stamp, a story and a half high, with a plentitude of win- 
dows ; front and back porch doors, the house having east, 
south and north entrances. The orchard lies on a slope 
to the east, and Jim's land runs back for twenty acres 
on the south side of the road. The appearance of the 
house from without is very pleasant, and within the ef- 
fect is comfortable and bright. The rooms are well- 
furnished and everything, (thanks to Mrs. Riley's talent 
as a housekeeper) has a clean and spotless appearance; 
and the numerous windows in the rooms give the sun 
every opportunity to carry his healthful beams into the 
remotest corners. Even the front door of the cottage 
has a window in it. A more delightful place to spend 
a week in warm weather one could scarcely ask for, but 
the winters, according to Mrs. Riley, are not so pleasant. 

To live with these sincere and unaffected folk in the 
intimacy of the family circle, to share their meals, greet 
their friends and neighbors, to visit their relatives, and 

33 



in a word, live their life is to acquire an insight into the 
family affairs of a group which might well stand as rep- 
resentatives of honest and rugged stock, whence Ameri- 
ca's best native blood is drawn. The family is typically 
American. 

There is, first of all, Jim Riley himself, of medium 
height, clean shaven, a merry twinkle in his eye, jolly, 
and full of jokes, unaffected, unassuming, dropping into 
every colloquial speech, using dialect in preference to 
"book talk," but flashing out every now and then with 
thoughts clothed in phrase and sentence that might have 
been quoted by a college man without alteration of a 
word; generous and impulsive, hot-headed too, and in- 
dependent, a close friend and a merry heart; too sensi- 
tive to criticism of an unkind nature, too easily pleased 
by praise ; without malice or revengeful thoughts ; a 
warm-blooded man with an ever present shrewd humor, 
that gilds his conversation and makes his company well- 
liked. 

Then there is his wife, an ever busy woman; a good 
wife and good manager, making up in her thrift and 
sound economy for Jim's congenial improvidence. Mrs. 
Riley knows the worth of a dollar saved. Jim asks, 
"What is a dollar made for, if not to be spent?" Mrs. 
Riley is a manager of household problems, a woman of 
cares and anxieties, rather than a woman of enjoyment. 
She is without enthusiasm of any sort or kind, inclined 
by experience to see the cloud in the distance no bigger 
than a man's hand, foretelling the coming storm. Her 
husband has no stauncher defender than she, if any one 
be bold enough to attack his mediumistic powers in her 

34 



hearing, when she is not backward in his defense. She 
is no whit less direct in arraigning him to his face for 
his shortcomings in other and more domestic affairs. 
Thus she shows herself to be what she is, the type of the 
loyal, hard-working, uncompromising housewife, who, 
being all truth herself, expects all honesty from all 
others, and is indignant if the world disappoints her. Of 
Mrs. Riley it might be truly said that in all her honest 
life, she never stooped to flatter or truckle to any human 
being. 

Then there are two boys, Fred and Bert, aged eleven 
and nine, respectively, and Minnie, aged three. Fred, 
the eldest, is by choice a hunter and trapper, has an eye 
that does not fail him on the wing shot, is musical and 
has the all round catholicity of taste that may make him 
anything. He's a wise man, who can* say today what 
Fred will make of himself. Bert, the second boy, is well 
set up, and frank of manner — a good, sturdy boy with 
a tremendous appetite, and a huge appreciation of a 
joke ; loving his home, but anxious to do something in the 
world. Bert will do well. The other member of the 
family is the baby, Minnie. A sweet little girl who helps 
her mother all the time with the housework, talks gravely 
with the boys about many things, lives her own life a 
good deal, and does not seem to be at all dependent 
upon the companionship of children of her own age; a 
very innocent, dear child, quite unspoiled and pleasant 
to v look upon; wise, too, with the quaint wisdom of 
serious children. Minnie is the one whom Mr. Benton 
used to pick up and carry around the room ; she looked 
upon him as her grandfather, and called him grandpa. 

35 



With these people I lived for two weeks, studying 
them, noting their strength and weakness, so far as I 
might, that I might be able to give the readers an insight 
into their daily life. While I have attended a great many 
sittings at Riley's house, during the past twenty years, 
my first sitting convinced me that Riley was an honest 
and genuine medium. This first sitting was wonderful, 
and a full description of it will be given in a later 
chapter. 

This book is for skeptics ; it is for those who do not 
believe because they are not satisfied with so-called tests ; 
because they do not share the enthusiasm of the followers 
of a creed; because they doubt the integrity of the evi- 
dence presented by advocates; because they turn away 
dissatisfied from idle sarcasm and invective of the anti- 
spiritualistic writers ; because they seek facts, and facts 
uncolored by dogma or devotion; because they will have 
the truth if they can get it. These are the brethren to 
whom my heart goes forth in greeting and respect. Let 
them draw their own conclusions as they may, of one 
thing they may be assured; there is no lie written here 
on any page, nor is any incident exaggerated or colored 
by fancy to strengthen a theory. 

Questioning at odd times the members of this family, 
the information was gathered that their father had not 
encouraged the development of mediumship in any of 
them, but that occasionally clairvoyance had come to all 
four at odd times. For instance, Bert, when about four- 
teen years of age was standing outside of the house 
when he saw a boy go by him and round the corner of 
the house towards his little sister Minnie, who was sitting 

36 



on the step. Bert heard the boy call Minnie by name, 
and saw her look up, startled. She was not old enough 
at the time to talk, but she arose from her place and 
looked much frightened when the boy mysteriously dis- 
appeared. Bert was frightened himself. He had not 
noticed the boy very particularly, supposing that he was 
going into the house to see his mother. But the form 
disappeared, and neither Bert, nor Minnie could give any 
explanation; Minnie, because she could not talk, and 
Bert, because he knew he had seen a spirit. 

At another time when they were playing together with 
two other boys at a game called "blind," out in front of 
the house, among the trees, Bert saw the form of a young 
man hiding behind a tree, but as he approached, it wilted 
away. These are about the only manifestations of clair- 
voyance that have come to him, and the question arises, 
"If occasionally clairvoyant, why not always clairvoy- 
ant?" 

The eldest boy, Fred, has no kind of doubt in his mind 
about the truth of spirit phenomena. He does not like 
the spirits, and does not want to have anything to do 
with them. He has seen them in the dark, albeit he is 
not a nervous boy at all or easily scared. But he has 
seen them, he says, and knows that they are there. It is 
impossible to shake the stories of these boys. The child, 
Minnie, has heard footsteps, has sat up in bed with her 
sister to listen to "the spirits" walking in the next room 
(the seance room) after everyone had gone to bed. When 
she was four years old, she used to carry about a slate 
with her, inviting the spirits to come and write for her, 
and hearing so much said in the household concerning 

37 



conditions, she used to caution her brothers sometimes 
to "make less noise or they would spoil conditions." But 
Minnie got no messages upon her slate until her father 
put his hand upon the slate; then she received a mes- 
sage from her father's mother. Sometimes the message 
purported to come from her mother's mother, the grand- 
mother appearing to take great interest in watching over 
the future of the child. 



as 



CHAPTER VI. 

A Night With Riley— The Dark Circle— The Materializing 

Seance. 

As one seance is much like another, the writer will 
endeavor to make the reader familiar with the procedure 
which is followed at one of the Riley seances, following 
up the phenomena from beginning to end of the evening's 
enjoyment. Riley does not begin his sittings till eight 
o'clock in the evening. Let us suppose that the company, 
consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Brown, and Mr. and Mrs. 
Jones, are assembled. They have come to sit with the 
famous medium ; they have heard something of Spirit- 
ualism. Indeed, Mrs. Brown has had several sittings 
with mediums who have informed her that she is her- 
self possessed of mediumistic powers. She asks Jim 
what he thinks on that point, and he replies enigmatically 
that he "shouldn't wonder." 

You will not observe in Riley the affectations of im- 
pressive suggestions which the average medium gives to 
his sitters. Riley never "jollies" a sitter; and there is 
another point of difference which is quite striking. Al- 
most every medium whom I have met deems it an honor 
when the guide is willing to "talk through" him ; it is con- 
sidered that great good accrues to the medium when the 
"control" uses him as an instrument of speech. Mr. 

39 



Riley does not take that view, although his wife does, 
and it has been a grievance to her that Jim will not let 
Mr. Benton, the control, talk through him when Mr. 
Benton wishes to do so. Mr. Riley desires, so he says, 
to do his own talking, which is very characteristic of 
him. He says, "Let Mr. Benton (Uncle John as he calls 
him,) use his body as an instrument if he wishes, 
but if Uncle John wants to talk, he must do so on his 
own account; anything that. Jim says must come from 
Jim." He refuses to speak for another, or to be de- 
veloped in that way; yet it has happened once or twice 
when Jim has either been in an exceptionally complaisant 
mood, or "off his guard" as he says, that John Benton 
has spoken through him, and on those occasions the voice 
is very deep and full, and the language well chosen and 
sometimes eloquent. Mr. Riley laments his defective 
education, although to an observer he would seem to 
have nothing to regret in this regard; but he is firm in 
his refusal to accept the gift of another's knowledge, to 
be used and proclaimed as his own. This is a queer dis- 
tinction to make, but one cannot help respecting the 
medium for his obstinacy. 

Mr. Riley, having signified to the company that he 
is ready, leads the way into the large room on the ground 
floor, off of which opens the smaller room which will 
be later used as a cabinet. He seats Mr. Jones next to 
Mrs. Brown, and placing his wife between the two men 
visitors, seats himself between the two ladies, and the 
circle is complete. They are seated about an ordinary table, 
having no cloth upon it, and when the lights in the room 
are turned out, there will be absolute darkness. Before 
the lights are extinguished, however, some musical in- 

40 



strument, or perhaps a music box, with a slate and pen- 
cil, are placed upon the table and each sitter links the 
little finger of his hand to the little finger of the person 
sitting on either side of him, keeping his own hands, 
palms downward, flat on the table, but not touching each 
other. The idea in this is that the current shall traverse 
the bodies of the sitters, and if they joined their own 
hands together, the effect would be to cause the current 
to run only from hand to hand, thus greatly lessening 
the amount of the forces drawn out. 

When the lights are turned out by one of the company, 
and the circle has joined hands in the manner aforesaid, 
a hymn or sacred song is sung, a favorite being "Nearer, 
My God To Thee." During sometimes the first, and 
sometimes the second verse of this hymn, the musical 
instrument rises in the air, passes over the heads of the 
sitters, and, twanging chords as it flies, makes the cir- 
cuit of the group, perhaps swaying as far as the wall 
behind the group before it returns to its place on the 
table. At the same time a phosphorescent light, about 
the size of a half-dollar appears apparently from the 
bosom of Mrs. Brown's dress, and wavering undecidedly 
to and fro, goes out, disappears, vanishes in a few mo- 
ments. 

Riley is perfectly conscious during these manifesta- 
tions; he is not entranced, and takes as much interest 
in the phenomena as the sitters. At the close of the 
hymn, raps are heard on the table, and Mrs. Jones asks 
aloud, "Is sister Mary here? Is that you sister Mary?" 
Silence reigning, Mr. Jones says, "Perhaps it's Paul ; 
is it you, Paul ?" There are three terrific raps in affirma- 
tion. Yes, it's Paul, a departed brother, and Mr. Jones, 

41 



forgetting the limitations of the inquiry asks excitedly, 
"How is it with you, Paul?" The medium says, "Ask 
him something he can rap 'yes' or 'no' to." And Mrs. 
Jones inquires, "Do you think you can materialize to- 
night, and come to us ?" Paul raps that he will, and the 
sitters are glad. 

All this time Mr. Jones feels a hand caressing his head 
and patting him, and immediately after Mrs. Brown says, 
"I declare someone has pulled the hairpins out of the 
back of my hair!" Simultaneously, the musical instru- 
ment twangs a few chords, the end is poked into Mr. 
Jones' breast with some force, and the table vibrates per- 
ceptibly to the touch. Also, apparently at the same 
moment, Mr. Brown feels some one sticking hairpins in 
his hair and says so, and then there is hilarity, — Mr. 
Brown, having scant hair and small need for hairpins 
to hold it in place. This levity on the part of the at- 
tending spirits, having been received in good part, there 
is more singing followed by further phenomena of sim- 
ilar kinds. The lights perhaps, are more frequent and 
long messages are rapped out to inquiry, but as a rule 
the communicating intelligences avoid the lengthy mes- 
sages, and give promises that they will try to appear at 
the materialization which is to follow. 

Finally Mr. Riley says, "Well, let's go outside and 
take a rest," and the company retire to the other room 
and compare notes about the phenomena. Although Riley 
has always had a slate laid on the table at these dark 
seances, together with a small piece of pencil, I have not 
yet seen a communication written upon the slate at the 
dark circle. The slate writing has always been given 
during my sittings with Riley at materialization ; never at 

42 



the dark circle. Upon asking Mr. Riley his reason for 
putting the slate on the table at the dark circle, he said, 
"It's best to have it there for them to use if they want 
to," which leads me to observe that it is to be noted of 
Riley that he gives free hand to his spirits in the matter 
of manifestations. He does not profess beforehand to 
know what they are going to do or say, or whether any- 
thing out of the ordinary will occur. 

The dark circle, having lasted perhaps an hour, the 
members take a ten-minute rest, after which they are 
invited to re-enter the room in which they have had their 
sittings; the table is pushed away into the corner, and 
the chairs are arranged in a semi-circle in front of the 
entrance to the smaller room, which is to serve as a 
cabinet for the medium. Mrs. Riley sits next to the en- 
trance to the cabinet, and as soon as Mr. Riley has en- 
tered she arranges the curtain at the foot to exclude all 
light from the cabinet. The lights in the room are turned 
down to a point at which it is possible to recognize the 
features of any member of the company, without diffi- 
culty, and a hymn is sung. There is no response from 
the curtain, and Mr. Brown suggests that Mrs. Brown 
start something; whereat Mrs. Brown shakes her head 
and says, "If only Mary were here, — she's such a one 
to sing!" Mrs. Riley begins to sing "The Suwanee 
River" and the others take up the refrain. 

A depressing silence falls on the company, broken by 
four raps from the cabinet; Mrs. Riley explains that 
that means "sing" and the company sings again, "Oh 
Summer Land." At the conclusion of the third verse, 
after perhaps twenty minutes from the beginning of the 
sitting, there comes a waving of the curtain. The hymn 

43 



dies away, only one or two of the company retaining 
sufficient interest in conditions to keep up the tune by 
humming in a subdued way. The curtain continues to 
wave, and presently as Mrs. Riley begins again to sing, 
admonishing the company to join in, there appears a 
form in the opening of the curtains. He is visible to all 
present. He is about six feet tall, dressed in black, low- 
cut vest, white shirt, his face is pallid, his hair is gray, 
his face, clean shaven; a tall, strong- well-built man of 
pleasant features. He bows to the company and Mrs. 
Riley says, "It's John Benton." The form bows again, 
and with the curtains still parted, sinks slowly down, a 
characteristic of all materialized forms. They do not 
appear and disappear ; they sink and are gradually gone. 
The company has now waked up to an interest in the 
phenomena ; their period of waiting is forgotten, and they 
are most anxious to welcome friends from the other 
shore. Under Mrs. Riley's guidance, they again sing and 
are again rewarded by a moving of the curtains, keeping 
time in its waving to the cadence of the measure. They 
wait, with their eyes fixed upon the black curtain. Sud- 
denly a scratching sound is heard, and a tap of a pencil, 
writing upon a slate, comes from the cabinet. The writ- 
ing ceases and the slate is seen to be thrust between the 
folds of the curtain. Mr. Brown, under Mrs. Riley's 
instruction, asks, "Is it for me?" The slate is drawn 
back. Mrs. Jones asks, "Is it for me?" Mr. Jones, "Is 
it for me?" Mrs. Brown, "Is it for me?" The slate is 
thrust forward again. Yes, it is for Mrs. Brown. She 
is told by Mrs. Riley to take the slate into the next room 
where there is light and read the message. Mrs. Brown 
advances to take the slate and as she does so, the cur- 

44 



tains suddenly part, and a young man is seen with the 
slate in his hand. Mrs. Brown gasps and draws back, 
the slate drops with a crash to the floor, and the figure 
slowly sinks. 

Mrs. Brown gathers herself together, picks up the 
slate, and going to the next room, returns with the an- 
nouncement, "It's from Uncle Ephraim. He says that 
was him." Mrs. Brown is much excited, and naturally 
wants to know if Ephraim cannot come out again and 
tell his story. Mrs. Riley says, "Perhaps he'll come 
again," when there is heard another sound, a cough be- 
hind the curtain, the waving ceases, Mrs. Riley goes for- 
ward and throws backs the curtain, permitting light to 
enter the cabinet, and some one turns up the light in the 
room; for the seance is at an end for the present. 

Whenever Riley comes out from under the influence, 
he coughs, and whenever he coughs, the curtain is thrown 
back to give him a chance to breathe comfortably, talk, 
and allow the company to look at him. This phase 
of mediumship is not very pleasing to Riley, and he is 
never sorry when it is all over, "for," he says, "I dread 
to go into the cabinet;" but he has perfect confidence 
in Mr. Benton, that under any and all circumstances he, 
Benton, will take care of him. Then he walks about the 
room and takes some tea. He asks whether the phe- 
nomena are good tonight, and Mrs. Riley says, "Not 
very. They don't seem to have any strength to come 
out, and there are so few of them." But she says this 
hopefully, advising the company not to become impatient, 
and not to be too anxious ; "because," she says, "we have 
found out that, you can't hurry them." 

Mr. and Mrs. Jones are comparing notes, Mr. and 

45 



Mrs. Brown are in an argument as to whether that 
looked like Ephraim or not; Mrs. Brown said she was 
too much "flustered" to take a real good look, but "if it 
was not Ephraim it was his twin, sure." From this, Mr. 
Brown dissents, pointing out that Ephraim wore a full 
beard, whereas this was a youngish man with a black 
mustache. Mrs. Brown reminds her husband of the fact 
that Ephraim did not always have a full beard to boast 
of, and recalls the days when his chin was as smooth as 
a billiard ball, and his hair "that black and glossy that 
you could see your face in it." Mr. Brown, discom- 
fited, but still full of fight, retires from the argument, 
and Mrs. Jones asks Jim why Paul has not come as he 
promised. Jim says, "Perhaps he has not strength 
enough yet, to come; wait a little." Mrs. Jones is not 
quite sure whether she ought to cherish a grievance 
against Paul, or against Jim, but is prepared to do both 
if the worst comes to the worst. 

After a rest of ten minutes, Mr. Riley says, "Let's try 
it again" and all re-enter the seance room. The life has 
gone out of the company; they are disappointed. This 
is not at all what they expected. From what they had 
heard of Farmer Riley's seances, the spirits just came 
trooping out of the cabinet, and hung around your chair, 
exchanging confidences with you, and embracing you in 
the intervals. This waiting was dreadfully trying; why, 
you didn't know for certain that you were going to see 
any of them at all. Had they come fifty miles for this ? 
They began singing in a disappointed kind of way, Mrs. 
Riley for the most part sustaining a solo, after advis- 
ing the company to sing together if they wanted mani- 

46 



festations. "Unless you bring them the right conditions," 
she said, "they won't have strength enough to come out," 
and led off with "Nearer, My God To Thee" again. Mr. 
Brown joined in hoarsely, and Mrs. Brown was with 
him by spurts, but this effort was her last, and neither 
Mr. nor Mrs. Jones showed any disposition to join. 

The waving of the curtain roused Mr. Jones from his 
seeming lethargy to remark that perhaps it was Paul, 
but Mrs. Jones contented herself with saying, "If it is, 
let him come out so we can see him, and not stand there, 
shaking the curtain like he was afraid to be seen !" Mrs. 
Riley said, warningly, "That's no way to get anything. 
You should try and help him ; if it's him, speak kindly 
and lovingly to him and he may get strength to show 
himself plainly." There was violent waving of the cur- 
tains at this, and three strong raps from the cabinet in 
confirmation of Mrs. Riley's advice. But, Mrs. Jones 
was beyond reproof and said with an undisguised yawn, 
that she only wished she was home in her bed ; she was 
tired. If there is anything in condition, (and there must 
be surely) anything in harmony or sympathy, as conduc- 
ing to get phenomena, it must have required the force 
of a Niagara to offset the influence of this company. 

Again the curtain waved, and after shaking to and 
fro for perhaps five minutes, which seemed more like 
twenty minutes to the now expectant company, the fig- 
ure of an old man, very decrepit, leaning on a cane, and 
having white hair, white beard, showed itself to the 
group and disappeared. " 'Clare to goodness, it's more 
provoking than a cow!" said Mrs. Brown, and Mr. 
Brown said warmly, "Did you recognize him, Eliza? 
Didn't he remind you of some one you knew?" Mrs. 

47 



Brown said he did look like her grandfather, now she 
come to think of it, and Mr. Brown said, "Not your 
grandfather, Eliza, that was my uncle Benjamin, just 
as plain as I ever saw anything in my life." Whereat 
Mrs. Jones, with a last glimmering spark of vitality, an- 
nounced that it looked more like "old Hank Travers that 
hanged hisself in his barn along of the Widow Mc- 
Tavish refusin' to marry him." But this was not ac- 
ceptable to the others, and the matter was referred by 
common consent to the cabinet, for settlement. 

There was again a waving of the curtain; again raps, 
and just as the company believed themselves on the point 
of solving the mystery, the writing was heard again upon 
the slate, and it appeared at the side of the curtain, di- 
rected at Mrs. Riley. "This is for me," said Mrs. Riley ; 
"when it comes like that, it's from Mr. Benton, and means 
something for me." And she took the slate into the 
next room to read the message. Returning in a little 
while, she said, "The message is from Mr. Benton. He 
says, 'Friends, the conditions tonight are not strong 
enough to permit us to manifest to you; the medium is 
exhausted. Good night/ " "Is that all ?" then inquired 
Mrs. Brown. "Yes, it's no use going on," said Mrs. 
Riley, "when they say stop." 

There was a cough from the cabinet and she threw 
back the curtain. Jim looked tired and weary sitting 
there with his head in his hands, coughing in a way that 
was bad to hear. "What did they get?" he asked his 
wife. "Not anything satisfactory," she said; "I didn't 
think they would," he said ; "didn't feel right to me some- 
how." Out in the other room, Mr. Jones was telling 
Mrs. Jones that "maybe they was some of us over-anx- 

48 



ious, and some of us not anxious enough." "Well," 
said Mrs. Jones, "this ends it for me. I told you that 
I didn't want to come anyway," she added accusingly. 
"Didn't you say to me, this morning — " began Mr. Jones, 
in vindication, when she cut him off with, "If you're go- 
ing to stay here all night, talking, keeping folks out of 
their beds, etc., etc." 

In fine, the company disbanded, disappointed. The 
picture is not overdrawn in any particular. Viewing the 
occurrences dispassionately, and as a spectator merely, 
I began to understand why Jim Riley had not encour- 
aged any of his children to develop their mediumistic 
powers. This is the result of a seance where the "con- 
ditions" are all wrong. Once more I call the reader's 
attention to the point that fraudulent manifestations are 
easily produced ; that a bogus medium is very careful 
that his sitters shall one and all receive satisfactory 
tests, and that the trickster never permits his sitters to 
depart in a disappointed frame of mind. Jim smoked a 
cigar with me, after the company had departed. "It 
don't seem to be worth the trouble," he said, "but you'll 
see different results when the right people come." 



V.) 



CHAPTER VII. 

Market Day in Marcellus — Local Politicians — Geo. Adams — Good 
Conditions at a Riley Seance — The Squire's Story — John 
Dewey. 

The town of Marcellus, Mich., has a population of 
twelve hundred ; has electric light and water works. The 
town is well supplied with cement sidewalks, plenty of 
shade trees, nice lawns, and modern houses, and good 
water. It has wide awake business men, has two banks, 
two hotels, flour mill and machine shop. The people 
are prosperous, and a general good feeling prevails 
among them. While the town voted down local option, 
and is wet, an intoxicated man is rarely seen on their 
streets. 

The country around Marcellus is fine and crops rarely 
fail. There is a lake called Big Fish Lake within three 
miles of Marcellus, where there are a number of cottages 
and a great many resorters are there during the sum- 
mer. 

When Mr. Riley goes to town he is besieged on all 
sides by those wanting to come out that evening for a 
seance. Saturday night at Riley's house is a thing to be 
remembered. The crowds were so great in the old days 
that the household seldom got to bed any night in the 
week before two o'clock of the next morning. During 

50 



the year 1891 he gave a sitting every night for a year. 
Result: Physical and nervous prostration for Jim; loss 
of twenty-nine pounds in weight; and a complete cessa- 
tion of all sittings until health was restored. 

Those were the days when Jim went into the cabinet, 
and was hardly seated before forms appeared, walked 
out among the audience, shook hands and dematerialized 
there in the presence of all without going back to the 
cabinet. (And at this writing, August 10th, 1909, the 
forms materialize just as quickly as they did twenty years 
ago, and in a subsequent chapter the sittings we are now 
having will be given in detail.) Think of having a be- 
ing, apparently of flesh and blood, grasp you by the 
hand with a grip that you will remember for days, look 
you squarely and kindly in the eyes, and say, "Good 
evening, I am glad to see you," in a firm, resonant voice. 
Then, think that while you are actually shaking hands 
with this form he dematerializes, gradually vanishes, 
leaving perhaps his hand in yours, till the last moment.. 
He has all gone but his hand. You are looking at that, 
and are satisfied that it is flesh and blood; the touch is 
warm, the veins are marked, the skin soft and not 
clammy. While you are noting these things, the hand 
itself is gone, and your fingers clasp on your own palm, 
with nothing between. 

Think of this! What does it mean to you? Where 
does the form gather it,s material ? Where does it get its 
brain? Where does it get its voice? Think of it! Think 
of it! Not done in a corner, but in the presence of 
twenty or thirty persons at a time; not, done once but 
done every night for weeks and months and years ; done 

51 



so often, that the tremendous significance of the much 
simpler phenomena which I, myself, have witnessed at 
the Riley home, was unheeded by those present in the 
circle. Those phenomena will be duly set forth in their 
place now as they occurred. Some check had to be put 
on the gatherings after Riley's health was restored. It 
was thought at one time that he would not live, and 
hence those who sit with him now come by appointment, 
or are personally invited to attend. 

Saturday night found a gathering of twenty-four peo- 
ple in the little home in the country. All kinds and 
classes of people, all ages, both sexes, and mostly Spirit- 
ualists ; some of them, like John Dewey, (the large man 
in the corner who is telling funny stories to the Squire) 
having been a witness to the Riley phenomena for many 
years ; some of them are young girls whose voices will 
be of use later when singing hymns. These good folk, 
as some small return for their evening's pleasure, insist 
upon bringing with them baskets of eatables, and the 
kitchen table is loaded with the products of the pantry. 
This gives the evening a picnic flavor of its own. The 
guests are assembled and ranged about the walls of the 
reception room, very silent at first, as is their wont, but 
they will talk later when they get warmed up. 

A spectator, accustomed to quick, light conversation 
on any and every topic, among strangers, would set these 
people down as shy, or lacking in ideas. An extensive 
acquaintance with all sorts and conditions of men, has 
furnished me at least sufficient wisdom to understand 
that all men and women are alike in types of tempera- 
ment, irrespective of class or calling; distinction of 

52 



wealth and rank does not affect the intellectual grip of 
the members of the masses and the classes. The farming 
community, the backbone of America, gives you just, as 
keen logicians, just as sharp inventors, just as witty 
antagonists, just as good conversationalists as is yielded 
by a sifting of the classes. The only distinction lies in 
the method by which they come in contact with other 
minds. Above a certain point in the social scale tzvo 
strangers fence with words to discover the mental stand- 
ing of each other. They put their heads down and lock 
horns in conversational amenities. In the country there 
is always silence at first ; the refuge of the impenetrable 
thicket; but when the country stag breaks cover, he 
shows as fine a head as any deer bred in the fenced 
plantation. 

Mr. Riley is not feeling very well tonight, and the 
gathering misses his ready jest and hearty word. His 
oldest son, George, with his wife and babies, is here from 
the grape country, fifteen miles away, to stay over Sun- 
day. His daughter, Dollie, is here too, on a short visit ; 
she is a clever girl with leanings toward making a school 
teacher of herself. There is not a book in Jim's library 
from Washington Irving to "Antiquity Unveiled" which 
she has not read and pondered upon. Dollie has the 
American spirit of self-improvement; she admires intel- 
lect; she loves knowledge. 

And here's the Squire telling his story about Jim 
Riley's mediumship. Experiences? Yes sir, a thou- 
sand experiences if anyone cares to hear them. "I remem- 
ber," says the Squire, "one night when the conditions 
were good, John Benton, Jim's control, came right out 

53 



from the cabinet and stood before us. 'Good evening, 
friends,' he said, and walked back to the curtain. I spoke 
up, and says, 'Mr. Benton, before you go, I would like 
to shake hands with you if you will allow me.' He 
turned right, around and came back to me. I stood up, 
and when he put out his hand, I put mine in it, and he 
gave it a good squeeze. Then he began to draw me 
towards the cabinet, holding my hand tightly — I couldn't 
have let go if I had wanted to; he took me right into 
the cabinet, and when I was in there, with the curtains 
parted as I went in, I saw Jim Riley, sitting there hud- 
dled up in a chair with his head bent forward against 
the sill of the door, same as he always sits when he 
goes under control, and there was John Benton, six feet 
tall, and a stately, kind-looking man. He stood right 
up there by the side of Jim, holding my hand tightly 
as if he'd never let go. Then he began to sink down 
through the floor, still holding my hand, and took me 
right down with him, till I was bent all up like this, (and 
the Squire illustrates his story) just holding his hand 
right close to the floor, and nothing else of him left. 
Then he let go, and I straightened up and turned out of 
the cabinet, and hadn't any more than got outside the 
curtains, when they parted, and there he was again, full 
size, right behind me." "But that's nothing," he added, 
"hundreds of people have seen more than that here in 
Riley's house." 

"Do you mind the time they took Jim into the woods ?" 
asked John Dewey, with a chuckle. "There was Sterns 
and a whole party of them. They had a camp out there 
and they said they were going to fix Jim out right, and if 

54 



he could get them any figures, or forms, or spirits, or 
anything else, up in those woods, in their own tent, he 
had to be mighty smart to do it, if it wasn't on the square. 
And they fixed it up so that things had to be on the 
level. They didn't care anything about Spiritualism in 
those days; the crowd wanted to find out if the phe- 
nomena were true or all a fake, and they were bound 
they would find out." 

"They took Jim and showed him what they'd built up 
for a cabinet, and it suited him all right. (Jim's the 
easiest pleased medium, anyway, that I ever came 
across.) Then they waited for what they were to get; 
but you had better see Sterns or the Doctor, or Alec 
Taylor about that; they were up there. But I was in 
the store one day when they were talking about Jim 
Riley, and one man said it was all a fake. 'There's 
nothing to it but fake!' he said, — and Sterns came right 
up to him and says, 'You're prepared to back your opin- 
ion, no doubt, Mr. — / he says. 'We have five 

hundred dollars right here in this book,' he says, 'that 
Jim Riley can get those phenomena any where you put 
him ; and the money's yours if he can't.' 'Let me tell you,' 
he says, T was one of them that took Jim Riley up to 
the woods and I know what I saw.' " 

All the chairs are now arranged in a triple row in front 
of the cabinet in the inner room, and it is nearly ten 
o'clock before they are all satisfactorily disposed of, and 
John Dewey is given the post of honor at the right side 
of the curtain, Mrs. Riley, on this occasion having her 
grandson in her arms, and sitting on the left of the cur- 
tain. The child has been promised that perhaps his 

55 



father who has passed to the other life will come to him, 
and the boy says he would like to see him; but sleep 
overcomes him soon, and his father does not appear at 
this seance. Mr. Riley says he is ready, and steps into 
the cabinet and John Dewey draws the curtains close. 



56 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Forms Appearing — Doctor Cottrell — The Great Test— Giving a 
Medium a Suggestive Treatment. 

There is an interval of silence before the fresh voices 
of the young women join with the deeper notes of the 
men in sacred songs. There is a full choir tonight, and 
conditions look well. When two verses have been sung, 
a noise of writing on the slate is heard from the cabinet, 
and it is signified in the usual way that the slate is for 
the little woman in black, sitting in the front row. She 
goes to the curtain and takes the slate (this is her 
first seance) and is bidden to take it out to the light and 
read. While she is gone, a form appears and points to 
John Dewey; John says, "It looks like Elmer." There 
are three quick raps which mean "Yes." John says, "If 
it's you, Elmer, maybe you can shake hands with me." 
The form appears again but for a second; then again, 
and this time extends his hand to John, who goes to the 
cabinet and grasps the hand in a hearty shake. 

The little woman in black returns to the circle and as 
she rubs out the message on the slate, she hands it back 
to the curtains. Immediately, the curtains part and El- 
mer appears, taking the slate from her. The message, 
it seems was from him. John Dewey says, "Elmer 
shook hands with me," and the little woman says, "Why 

57 



don't he shake hands with me then ?" She has recognized 
him clearly, as Elmer is a very near relative ; but the cir- 
cumstances do not concern the reader. She has no sooner 
said this, than another verse is sung, the form of Elmer 
again appears and holds out his hand to her; she goes 
to the cabinet, holds his hand and says, "Thank you." 
Elmer simply retires. She is much overcome and cries 
silently some minutes. 

After more music, the tall form of John Benton shows 
itself, says, "Good evening," in a clear, pleasant voice — 
how unlike poor Jim's voice, who has the asthma — and 
disappears. There is a chorus of regret that he departs 
so soon, and presently a slate is put forth for the writer. 
It contains this message in bold script : "My dear Sir, 
we are trying to get our medium up to a higher vibra- 
tion. We will help you all we can." John Benton. Af- 
ter this the form of an old man of most startling dis- 
tinctness and perfection of detail waves aside the cur- 
tain near John Dewey, and takes a step forward. He 
is not recognized and appears only for a moment. No 
one knows him. There is a cough from Jim, and the cur- 
tain is put aside and he comes out of the cabinet, rests 
for a few moments and says, "We will try it again." The 
curtain is dropped. Jim does not move his seat to right 
or left during the seance; he sits, leaning forward with 
the top of his head pressing against the sill of the door 
casing; the door is thrown flat back against the wall; 
and curtains take the place entirely of the door. Re- 
member that. The room is very small; it has been the 
writer's bedroom during his visit. The bed runs length- 
wise down the room, and is therefore across the door. 

58 



the coverlet of the bed is white. Jim is dressed in black. 
During his breathing spells, while the curtain is up, one- 
half of Jim's black outline is distinctly to be seen against 
the white coverlet of the bed behind him. Every soul 
of that family is collected in the seance room; no one 
could get into that room without being observed, even 
if any outside aid were thought of, — a ridiculous sup- 
position to any one who has lived in this house a few 
days. 

The curtain has been dropped again, and a hymn sung, 
when a form of medium height with clean shaven lips 
and light beard on chin, waves aside the curtain beside 
Mrs. Riley. She says, "That looks like Dr. Cottrell." 
He is one of the cabinet guides, occupying a somewhat 
similar position to that of John Benton, but being less 
often visible. He again appears, this time in front, and 
shows himself to the circle; still not satisfied, he waves 
the curtain again near Mrs. Riley and appears and dis- 
appears several times. There is a curious persistence 
about him which is unlike the appearance of any other 
form this evening. In a few seconds, quick scratching is 
heard on the slate, and the slate is thrust out to Mrs. 
Riley. During her absence, the form of Dr. Cot- 
trell again appears, and waves the curtain impatiently, 
it would seem. When Mrs. Riley returns to the room, 
the form again appears and beckons her to the cabinet, 
waving the curtains to and fro as she approaches. 

The curtain is now waved back about a foot and a half, 
permitting a clear view of the white bed, and the black 
outline of Jim Riley sitting with his head jammed against 
the door sill, just as he was left when he went under 

59 



control ten minutes ago. Mrs. Riley brought her hand 
down with a smack. "Why, of course," she said, "I see 
now !" The curtain closed ; Mrs. Riley was more pleased 
than I have seen her since my coming to the home. "The 
message on the slate," she said, "is signed Dr. Cottrell, 
and he writes, 'See my medie sitting in the cabinet.' Of 
course he wanted to give me one of his old tests. That 
was one of the old kind; he wanted me to see, and I 
couldn't understand. Sure enough, I thought he wanted 
me to shake hands with him, or something, but he just 
wanted to give us a strong test." Mrs. Riley was pleased. 

Go back a moment and think this thing over. Here 
is a form without speech, but in no other single essential 
differing from all those other forms that had appeared 
at previous times to others, present at these seances. 
This form had the power of motion; it could write, 
seemingly ; it could also wave back the curtain. Whence 
did it; collect those atoms, necessary for the creation of a 
body of substance? This was a solid body; others have 
testified to grasping this seeming solid until it melted 
away to nothingness. It would seem then, that chemistry 
of the spirit world can make such sport of our laws of 
psychics, that we stand before them in self-confessed 
ignorance of the rudiments of their science. And yet, 
oh, doubly wonderful fact! they seem unable thus to 
manufacture substance, visible to our eyes, without the 
aid of our living magnetism as given off by our physical 
bodies. How our boasted incredulity and skepticism 
crumble at the touch of a single solitary fact. 

Mr. Riley's cough ended this sitting; Mrs. Riley told 
him of the test. Speaking of it afterward, Jim said to 

60 



me, "It's a long while since Martha has been so pleased ; 
I'm glad the phenomena are so good. They must be very- 
good when she says so, because she has seen so many 
of them." The circle had broken up, gone in search of 
supper. Mr. Riley was feeling very bad ; said he was sick 
at his stomach; the thought of supper or food was re- 
volting to him ; said he would lie down for a while. "A 
strong test like that," he told me, "seems to make me 
awful sick." He lay down on the couch. No one seemed 
to think there was anything the matter with him. "Why 
don't you send them home and let that test stand for 
tonight?" I asked. "That wouldn't do," said Jim. "They 
are used to seeing me go under for hours, and keep this 
up till two o'clock in the morning; they don't know how 
sick I feel ; just as if every bit of my body was shaken 
upside down." He closed his eyes and in a few minutes 
was fast asleep. He must have slept for twenty minutes. 
Then his wife brought him some strong coffee, but he 
couldn't drink it yet. His head ached. He lay down 
again, and went to sleep while the members of the circle 
enjoyed a good supper and discussed the phenomena. Poor 
Jim ! he did not get much fun out of the affair. He suf- 
fered, that humanity might be enlightened about this 
great truth. Surely he will be rewarded when he makes 
the change to the other life. 

After perhaps an hour, he said he could eat some sup- 
per, and drink his coffee, so his wife brought him some 
food. It was after twelve o'clock when he said that he 
would try again, and see what he could get; and the 
company assembled in the seance room. Jim's cough 
could be heard through the whole of "Nearer, My God, 

61 



to Thee" and "Summerland" and it was remarked that 
it "took so long for him to go under control." Pres- 
ently the form of a young man appeared at the curtain, 
showed himself for a moment and disappeared. He 
was not recognized. Following this, came another, also 
a man, and this speedily disappeared. A slate was in a 
few minutes handed out to Mrs. Riley bearing a message 
from John Benton to the effect that the medium was not 
well enough to continue the seance, and the circle was 
broken up. 



52 



CHAPTER IX. 



\S 



An Interesting Seance in the Woods of Northern Michigan — 
The Phenomena — The Freckled Woman — Doctor Shillito — 
Inflammatory Rheumatism — A Spirit Photograph. 

In the fall of 1893, a party of ten or a dozen men from 
Marcellus went hunting in the woods of northern Michi- 
gan. They were out for a two weeks' camping vaca- 
tion, and away out there in the woods, five miles from 
t;he nearest house, they built a little shanty of boards ten 
by twelve feet, just large enough to hold them. They took 
with them, blankets for covering, and cooking utensils, 
but no chairs or camp stools. Jim Riley had been in- 
vited to make one of the party. He had been working 
pretty hard and was run down and thought perhaps a 
hunting trip and living in the open air would build him 
up physically. Nothing was said about a seance in the 
woods of course ; the company had their plans, but kept 
their own counsel. Jim decided to go. The subject of 
Spiritualism was not broached for some days. 

The hunting was good and game plentiful. It was the 
custom of the party to pair off each morning and hunt 
in couples. One night after supper the campers collected 
in a group and discussed something among themselves. 
Jim did not join them ; he had the impression they were 
talking about him, and he stayed where he was. The 

63 



next day it fell to the lot of Sol Sterns to be Jim's 
partner, and when the party left camp and separated 
for the day's sport, Sterns and Jim set off together. 

They had gone but half a mile from camp, when Sol 
said, "Jim let's sit down and rest a minute." Jim said, 
(knowing what was coming), "Why you're not half a 
mile from camp, Sol, you don't want to rest yet awhile. 
Come on." "No Jim," said Sol, "there's something the 
boys wanted me to speak to you about. What's the 
matter with your giving us a show up here in the woods, 
Jim?" "I don't give shows," said Jim. "You mean a 
seance." "Oh, that's it,, yes," says Sol, "the boys would 
like to have you give them a seance." "No, it won't 
do, Sol," says Jim ; "it's this way. You fellows are all 
good friends of mine, — I couldn't get anything for you. 
I couldn't feel right to get anything for you. I would 
never let you come up to my house to sit, nor I'm not 
going to sit for you up here. I came out to have a good 
time. So did you, and we're all having a good time. 
Now if I sit for you, I couldn't get anything for you, 
and you'd say, 'there's nothing to it' ; so I guess I'll save 
myself the trouble and we'll all keep good friends ; be- 
cause, you see Sol, if I did give you a sitting, I know 
there would nothing come of it, and you'd some of you 
say what you thought about Spiritualism and the like of 
that, and then there'd be a scrap right away, for I 
wouldn't stand for any talk of that kind. So we'll go on 
as we are, Sol, and we won't have anything to break up 
the harmony of this camp." 

Sol expostulated and argued, but Jim was firm, and 
when they got back to camp, Sterns reported the failure 

64 



of his mission to the others. After a conference, Dr. 
Shillito and Alec Taylor approached Jim. "Say Jim," 
said the Doctpr, "the boys would take it kindly of you, 
if you would give us a sitting out here in camp. We've 
heard what you said to Sol, and we give you our word 
now, that if you'll just, sit for us, there won't be a word 
said on the subject of Spiritualism while you're in this 
camp. Not a word. If any man broaches the subject, 
whether there's any phenomena or not, if he mentions 
Spiritualism unless you speak of it yourself first, we will 
undertake to kick him right out of camp. That's our 
promise, Jim." So Jim said that was all right. "He 
didn't think," he said, for a minute that he could get 
them anything out there, because he was dead sure he 
would have no confidence in himself ; he'd be feeling the 
want of the home surroundings, and he'd be scared ; but 
if they wanted it, he'd try, that was all; he promised 
nothing. 

This was all satisfactory, and the campers went to 
work to build a cabinet for Jim inside the little shanty. 
They piled up a bundle of hay in one corner; that was 
for Jim to sit on when he went under "control." They 
fastened two blankets up to the roof inside, and strung 
them across a corner of the shanty, making a little dark 
box that served the purpose of a cabinet ; they took away 
all extra blankets and sheets, and were so solicitous about 
keeping out all rays of light; from the interior of the 
cabinet, that they brought armfuls of dry leaves and laid 
them against the corners, and about the floor so that if 
Jim should forget himself and do any moving about in- 
side the cabinet, it would be mighty easy to hear him. 

65 



Oh, they were ready for Jim, and they felt sure no 
spirits would materialize up there in the wilds of Michi- 
gan. 

When all was complete, Jim went into the cabinet and 
told Henry Loveridge to attend to the lamp. Henry has 
a bakery and confectionery store today in Marcellus. 
Not one of this party had ever sat with Jim Riley be- 
fore, and Jim had no more idea when he went into the 
cabinet that, any phenomena would come than had Tim 
Taylor who was lying on his elbow, watching the pro- 
ceedings. Tim at the time was prepared to bet two hun- 
dred dollars as he said afterwards that "there wouldn't 
nothing come of it." To no one in particular was given 
the task of attending to the curtains. "Now boys, sing 
something, ,, said Jim; and they began to sing discord- 
antly. Jim found it hard work to get under control. 

Finally he stopped them. "It isn't noise I want," he 
said, "it's harmony. If you can't sing, you can count out 
loud, and count all together ; that may give us the right, 
vibrations." (There's an idea that is worth something. 
What put it into Jim's head that, counting would give 
results, when inferior singing would not?) He gets 
impressions from his control, Uncle John Benton, as he 
familiarly calls him. So they counted aloud with a meas- 
ured swing, and had reached fifty or thereabouts when a 
form appeared at the cabinet curtain. It was recognized 
by Sol Sterns as his father. Out they came, one after 
another, thick and fast, and these men who had been 
lying on their elbows on the ground at the back of the 
shanty, sat up in wonder and interest. The forms came 
out strong and clear, and were recognized here and there 

66 



by some of the company; many came who were not 
known. 

Finally came Alec Taylor's wife. Henry Loveridge 
was so determined that he would have a good view of all 
that transpired that as soon as a form appeared, Henry, 
in whose care the lamp had been placed, turned up the 
wick and directed the full blaze upon the form. When 
Alec Taylor's dead wife appeared, the light was so strong 
that they said afterwards you could clearly see the 
freckles on her face. (She was a much freckled woman, 
according to report.) 

The seance lasted a long while, and Jim said later that 
he believed being out there in the woods so close to 
nature helped him through it. "It seems to me," he said, 
"from what they told me, that all the spirits in the coun- 
try came there on purpose to bring me out all right." 
Tim Taylor said to Jim that if he hadn't seen what he 
had seen, he would have given two hundred dollars of 
his money to say it couldn't be done. "Now," he said, 
"I wouldn't give a cent because I saw it done, and I 
know it's true," which is one way of putting it. 

Dr. Shillito was greatly impressed. Some months 
later, when Jim was laid up with inflammatory rheuma- 
tism and couldn't move hand or foot, the Doctor was 
attending him. One night, the Doctor brought his wife 
along to visit Jim. "I wonder, Jim," says the Doctor, 
"if you could get anything for my wife now, sick as you 
are? She has never seen anything of the kind, and if 
you wouldn't mind trying, it would be a great kindness. 
We could fix you up in a chair, right here in your bed- 
room, wrap a couple of blankets and a quilt around you, 

67 



and you wouldn't take cold — no danger of it. I'd like to 
know, Jim, if anything would come to us tonight." 

So they took Jim, sick as he was, and swathed him in 
blankets and set him in a chair in his bedroom and hung 
blankets in front of the door of his room for curtains, 
while they sat out in the other room, and formed a 
circle. Jim was soon under control (mind you, he 
couldn't put his foot to the floor at this time) , and forms 
came out which were recognized both by the Doctor and 
his wife. The Doctor recognized the form of a dead 
colleague whom he had known for years and who had 
worked side by side with him in the hospital. It was a 
very successful seance, so far as manifestations went, 
and some would say it would be injurious to Jim; but 
Mr. Benton would never have consented to this sitting if 
it would injure Jim; he knew, and pressed Jim to con- 
sent to the sitting. 

In a later chapter an account will be given of Jim's 
entire cure of rheumatism by a noted physician in the 
spirit world. It was some months after this, that Mr. 
Perkins, a photographer from Kalamazoo, Mich., had 
several sittings with Jim. Mr. Perkins was very much 
interested. The writer knew Mr. Perkins who was a 
medium for Physical manifestations, and the sittings 
were very interesting to him, he having attended several 
at his residence. What Mr. Perkins saw at Mr. Riley's 
sittings was simply wonderful. He said to Jim, "I would 
like to come again and bring my camera, and take a 
flash-light picture of a materialized form." Jim said he 
didn't know how that would be; they had better ask 
Mr. Benton. John Benton said he would do what he 

68 



could to build a form which would stand the flash, and 
accordingly at his next visit, Mr. Perkins appeared with 
his camera and chemicals. 

The seance was quite successful; the conditions were 
good; but, John Benton said it would be late before he 
could have the form in readiness. The company, there- 
fore, sang and waited, and a little after midnight the 
photographer was warned to be ready. He adjusted his 
camera and waited. "We are all ready here, Mr. Ben- 
ton," he said. It was agreed then that three strong raps 
were to be tokens as the signal to flash the light. The 
signal was given; the flash went off; but whether too 
soon or too late, no one knows. The picture taken, shows 
two forms, a child and a full-grown man, apparently 
transfixed through the curtain, instead of being outside 
of it. Simultaneouly, with the flash, there was the sound 
of a falling body in the cabinet, and poor Jim was picked 
up, st.ill insensible, from the floor, having been knocked 
clear off his chair by the shock. He "came out" in a 
couple of minutes, but he could sit no more that night, 
and it was several days before the nausea and weakness 
following the experiment wore off. 

Jim notes a very peculiar fact about "controls." "It 
seems to me," he says, "that Uncle John did not know 
what effect I would get from the flash-light, for he is 
always so careful." We all love Uncle John, as we call 
him. He is a fine character. "It must be," says Jim, 
"that they know what a little while we have to live here 
anyhow, while they have all eternity before them." 



CHAPTER X. 

Jim's Philosophy of the Hereafter — The Mission of Spirits — 
The Gospel Development. 

Of all the mediums the writer has known, Jim Riley 
is the only one that ever struck him as an original thinker. 
By this is meant no discredit or disparagement to the 
others in so far as their mediumistic powers are con- 
cerned, but they have not seemed to give evidence of any- 
thing more than parrot-like rendering of the opinions of 
writers on Spiritualistic philosophies and they are in- 
capable of originating objections to the currently ac- 
cepted hypotheses or explanations of the phenomena 
which they produce, or are produced by them. All of 
his life, Jim has been a student, searching for an ex- 
planation. He wants to "know why" always. He has 
sat up far into t,he morning when he should have been 
in bed, comparing his physical sensations with the phe- 
nomena, and seeking to deduce a reason why a power 
should be his which is not given to others, and his phil- 
osophy of life hereafter runs something like this : "Death 
is just a change, a dropping away of the physical body ; 
we put it off, as we put off a suit of clothes. Like the 
locust that crawls out of the ground ; he sticks his claws 
in the bark of a tree, crawls out of his shell, and flies 
away — is born again. Likewise is man. When the spirit 

70 



leaves the body, he attends his own funeral. He sees 
those who weep, and those who scorn." 

"The spirit finds itself in a world where development 
is as much expected of it, as it is required on earth. 
Man is a progressive creature; he never falls, he pro- 
gresses here as well as in the hereafter, a world where 
loving, both towards other spirits, and towards those re- 
maining on earth is required for the fulfilling of its des- 
tiny. In this new world, which we on earth call 
'heaven,' the spirit is free to choose its pursuits, but it 
is made plain to it, that a life of self-indulgent happiness 
is impossible to the spirit; that seeks to develop itself 
towards the highest good. John Benton comes to me, 
not because he is driven to come, but because it is a mis- 
sion, a sort of duty which he gladly undertakes. After 
it is performed, after I have passed over myself, this will 
end John Benton's task or purpose on earth, for so he 
says himself. Eternal progress is the law of develop- 
ment on the other side; there is never a time for any 
spirit to say, 'I have learned all there is known ; I have 
done all that is to be done.' There are spirits on the 
other side whose development gives them authority to 
teach, to instruct. Sometimes Mr. Benton will tell me 
that he will be absent for several days, attending a tem- 
ple of learning, and if we try to get the phenomena, we 
do not. There is always employment for all; there is 
abundant happiness for all; there is immeasureable for- 
giveness — but the forgiveness is not expressed in terms 
of speech. There is no judge who condemns. Forgive- 
ness of sins is shown by fellowship with higher orders 
of spirits. When the higher spirits seek the companion- 

71 



ship of another spirit, it means that the other has de- 
veloped to a point at which he has seen the folly or sin 
of which he has been guilty in the past, and has made 
amends. He has made amends, this new spirit, by suf- 
fering- for t,he evil he has done; he has sorrowed in 
spirit in this new life. There is no hell, but that which 
lies within the spirit itself. He has not made amends, 
or received forgiveness in a moment, in a day, or two 
days. He has seen his guilt in himself, and he has made 
amends by service to others. Perhaps he has been sent 
on a long mission to earth to help some of those who are 
seeking comfort there. Perhaps he has been commis- 
sioned to attend some other guilty soul on earth, and is 
winning happiness for himself by trying continually to 
impress higher aims, better thoughts upon the minds of 
this depraved brother or sister. This is what we mean 
by spirit service. " 

"There are also spirits who are received on the other 
side by spirits of a like order, who are without these 
higher aspirations; who have lived a sinful life on the 
other side. These spirits are very close to earth, and 
find their pleasure in inciting human beings to- vice and 
crime of every description. It is the mission of spirits 
of a higher order than these, to visit them and try to 
influence them to seek a higher development. Thus the 
work of the 'ministering angel' is not a fable or myth, 
but an actual fact." 

"In just the same way that human beings of certain 
tastes and aspirations gather together in colonies and 
meet in sympathy, do spirits on the other side gather to- 
gether in bonds, attracted to each other by like hopes, 

72 



aspirations, tastes, pursuits, and ideas. Thus heaven is 
a place wherein the inhabitants are separated into grades 
or conditions, only by their own personal qualities ; like 
attracts like; and thus are brought about the various 
grades of development which have been christened 
'spheres of being' by some writers." 

"I cannot, better describe the absolute freedom of the 
spirit world, than by saying that heaven is a place where 
there is no compulsion. It is left to the spirit to decide 
whether he will shun evil and choose the good, making 
amends for his former evil doings ; or whether he will 
continue to follow evil. But in spite of this absolute 
freedom of will, make no mistake upon one point. Hap- 
piness lies intrinsically in the doing of good. The spirits 
who follow evil are not punished as we understand pun- 
ishment, but they are not happy. They seek fierce pleas- 
ure and find it, but they do not know happiness. They 
cannot know happiness or content until they have ex- 
perienced remorse and suffering. How closely the two 
worlds touch in their philosophies of good and evil! 
There never was a doctrine preached on earth which is 
not an echo of the truth of heaven. The regeneration 
of the Methodist camp is a spiritual fact; the 'elect' of 
the Presbyterians is a spiritual truth ; but how far short 
of the reality of the freedom of heaven do these human 
concepts fall! Man, setting himself up as the mouth- 
piece of God, has burnt, slain, and tortured his fellow 
men for centuries. In the name of religion he has com- 
mitted outrage and atrocities ; in the name of Jesus Christ 
he has shed his brother's blood. Even today, when hap- 
pily in this free country man is permitted to worship 

73 



God as he pleases, creeds divide the community into sects, 
and there is bitterness and hatred between worshipers 
of the same God." 

'The spirit that passes the portals of death is born 
into the new life, a Baptist, a Methodist, a Catholic, a 
Freethinker, — just what he was on earth. He does not 
find that his beliefs fall from him as his body fell from 
him at death; he has left his body behind, but he takes 
his beliefs with him, and he continues in those beliefs, 
crude, imperfect, blundering, as they are, until he is pre- 
pared, little by little, to receive the grand philosophy of 
heaven itself. His ability to perceive the truth is de- 
pendent entirely upon his development. There are in 
heaven today, countless spirits who wait for the appear- 
ance of Mahomet ; there are those who look for a meet- 
ing with the Christ Jesus ; there are those who look to 
be numbered with the chosen ; there are those who look 
for nothing, and care naught for goodness. Little by 
little, as they develop, they see that their old beliefs and 
creeds and forms and ceremonies were all, in a measure, 
good but imperfect, narrowing, obstructing them from 
receiving the free light of God's truth. Little by little, 
they understand that Jesus Christ was indeed a son of 
God, having, while in the flesh, because of the conditions 
of his birth, and because of the sustained purity of his 
thoughts and manner of life, powers which transcended 
the powers of man as set forth by man today. Little 
by little, as their understanding grows, they see the great 
basic truth of Christ's teaching^ they see that they also 
are sons of God, even as he was ; they see that to him 
were given no special privileges ; that the powers which 

74 



were his, and the love which was his, and the service 
which he rendered were all expressions of the divine 
nature, which were possible to every human being born 
under the same conditions, and living the same life of 
unison with God." 

"They see then when they can understand it, that the 
significance of Christ's work on earth lay in the fact, un- 
heeded yet by men, that Christ was man, born as man is 
born, begotten by Joseph, born in wedlock, but born un- 
der the uplifting spiritual conditions of Mary's inspired 
hope and trust in the promise of the angel's visit. When 
Mary 'treasured those sayings in her heart' she formed 
the character of Jesus, her offspring. These things are 
taught, as he can hear them, to the spirit in search of the 
truth, and something then of the beauty of the mission 
of Christ upon earth is shown him; when he can hear 
these wonderful truths reverently; when their immense 
significance enters his soul. Ah, then perhaps, he looks 
back with wonder at, his old self. He does not love his 
Christ the less because he now knows him to have been 
man ; he knows of a certainty that Christ was the son of 
God, and the mission of Jesus is summed up for him in 
the sentence 'Every soul born into the world is a son 
of God.' " 

"Beyond and above the spirit that has just passed 
across to the other side, are the spirits of those who have 
learned what he is to learn, who knows what he must 
know, and who are striving yet to know what he will 
some day strive to learn — of God the Ultimate, the Alpha 
and the Omega, the beginning of all things, the Father 
of the Universe. The most advanced spirit knows no 

75 



more than he knew on earth, but the way of Christ is 
plain before him. It is for the spirit to develop now in 
heaven, as Jesus, his brother, developed on earth, 
through great love and sacrifice, doing the will of God, 
the Father, with his face set ever toward the sun of 
Goodness which shineth ever more and more unto the 
perfect day." 



70 



CHAPTER XL 

Jim's Philosophy of Mediumship — Vibrations — Sex Force — The 
Law of Materialization. 

Riley's philosophy of his mediumship is as simple and 
direct as his philosophy of the hereafter. He says, 
"Every human being is naturally a medium undeveloped; 
that is to say, every human being can, by development 
come into rapport with the spirit world which will ena- 
ble him to receive communications from the departed. 
But the difficulty of communication does not rest en- 
tirely with the medium. By sitting for development the 
medium is brought into a higher rate of vibration than 
when in his normal condition, and this is being entranced 
as we say. But when in the trance state, it is not every 
spirit that knows enough of the law of communication to 
take advantage of the abnormal condition of the medium. 
For example, the reason why we cannot normally see 
and converse with spirits is because their vibration is so 
much higher than ours. When the medium's vibrations 
have been raised by entrancement, it is then necessary 
for the spirit to lower its own vibrations to the point, at 
which it becomes visible to the eye of the medium; so 
they meet half way. This is something of which many 
spirits are ignorant." 



"John Benton, my control, knows the law, but he is 
learning many new things himself. Although his work is 
to build up the forms of other spirits who come to my 
circle, so that they may be recognized by those present, 
there sometimes comes a spirit to whom even he has to 
give place, and whom he recognizes as on a higher plane 
than he is. Spirits are learning their lessons just as 
we are learning them. Everyone who sits for develop- 
ment in mediumship, will become a medium of some 
kind or other; not everyone can be a materializing me- 
dium ; not everyone can be a fine inspirational speaker ; 
but all can get into the vibration in which it is possible 
to receive indubitable evidence of the truth of spirit 
return." 

"During some of our seances, wandering spirits came 
to us giving us messages sometimes by raps, sometimes 
by slate writing. They would not give their names. 
They said they were passing by, saw the signal out, and 
knew they could call. It sounds funny, doesn't it? 
Genuine materialization makes strong demand upon the 
medium's vitality. This is sex-energy. Sometimes when 
I have not given a sitting for several days, I feel myself 
being 'drawn on' by the disembodied, and the same feel- 
ing of exhaustion comes over me, which follows a long 
seance. This energy is given off as magnetism, and is 
given off so much more freely by one who is a developed 
medium, that he is likely to be 'tapped' by those spirits 
who need some of his strength." 

"There is something I am going to tell you, which has 
never been told before, so far as I know. Perhaps it is 
not known to be true, but I have reasoned it out, and 

73 



this is the way I account for it. John Benton tells me 
that in heaven there is as Christ said, 'neither marriage, 
nor giving in marriage' but there is the union of the male 
and female. There is the marriage of the soul, the com- 
panionship of sex, the love that is purged from the 
grossness of the earthly passion, and is pure and holy in 
its manifestations. This is one effect of the quickened 
vibration of the spirit life, and just this same effect takes 
place in the highest form of mediumship, namely, 
materialization. The medium is brought to a quickened 
vibration by assistance of the spirit forces. When it 
becomes possible for him to produce materializations, he 
is already part spirit, that is, he is virtually in spirit life, 
and when brought out from this influence is of earth 
again. He is spiritual in his tastes, and marriage as we 
know marriage on earth, is not for him. His affinity is 
a pure affinity, a companionship, only. This is a strange 
fact, but it is a truth and admits of a scientific analy- 
sis. If it is properly followed up, it should furnish the 
key to the production of the phenomena of materiali- 
zation.' ' 

"The spirits require from the medium something 
which they cannot get even from the many members of 
the circle. They entrance the medium, and while in 
this condition his vibration is raised to a point at which 
that energy which in the normal man is converted into 
sex-energy is used by the spirit forces for the presenta- 
tion of their forms in visible and tangible shapes in 
substance. The sex-energy, it seems to me, can only be 
used for one purpose, — the creation of life substance. 
Whether it be used in the reproduction of the species, 

79 



or in the presentation of materialized forms, it has ful- 
filled its purposes." 

"There is another deduction to be made from this 
premise. It is this : a materializing medium is the one 
in a circle of sitters from whom this sex-energy can 
most easily be drawn by the controlling forces. And 
there is another point that follows this, namely, that a 
materializing medium is a sort of storage battery for this 
force. He collects it from others in the circle and he 
draws it from those with whom he comes in contact, 
though of course, in a less degree, when he is not en- 
tranced. Thus, when I say that the spirits draw energy 
from every member of the circle, and that they cannot 
sometimes get the right vibrations to manifest, I mean 
more exactly this : that, they can use this energy only 
for their materialization when it has been drawn from 
the circle and added to the energy of the medium. When 
vibrations are quickened in the circle, when there is har- 
mony, then the circle gives off this energy freely; then 
this energy from the circle passes through the medium 
before it is used by the spirits for their materializations. 
That makes the importance of right conditions clear, I 
think." 

If the medium, at any time chooses to give up his 
materializing work entirely, he will return to his old 
rate of vibration, his magnetism is less and less freely 
given off, it is more and more difficult for spirits to draw 
from him, and he becomes less of a sensitive. He gets 
fewer impressions. He neither receives nor gives as 
freely as before. He is shutting himself again in the shell 
in which the normal individual encases himself against 

80 



the approach of visitors from another world, the dis- 
embodied. In proportion as he shuts himself off from 
these communications, will his sex appetites and sex 
power return to him. And this is the law and philosophy 
of that which has been a mystery to man since the Witch 
of Endor called up the shade of Samuel — the act of ma- 
terialization. 



si 



CHAPTER XII. 

Evil Manifestations — Disturbance in the Cabinet — Injuring the 
Medium — How the Evil Influences Came — Clyde Goodrich — 
Rev. Father Hogg — A Remarkable Case. 

There is a darker side to the phenomena of material- 
ization, one which is rather avoided by writers on the 
subject, but which should be faithfully recorded and 
analyzed in a work which purports to give facts and 
truth only, whatever be the effect of such facts upon the 
philosophy itself. There is a "rough" side to Spiritual- 
ism. There are spirits of good, whose office it is to 
bring messages of peace and goodwill to the sitters, and 
whose presence diffuses an atmosphere of light; but 
there are also spirits of evil, whose entrance into the 
earth atmosphere is revealed by manifestations of malig- 
nant intent toward the medium- and circle, more especi- 
ally toward the medium. Paul's recognition of spirits 
of good and evil tendencies is well known, and his ad- 
vice to "try the spirits whether they be of good" is 
literally significant. 

Before giving an account of what took place at some 
of the Riley seances when these powers of darkness 
were in evidence, let us hear what John Benton said 
regarding their power to make themselves manifest. 
When anything unusual appeared at these circles, John 



Benton, who acted always as, in some sort, the manager 
of" t,he phenomena, was appealed to for an explanation. 
The question was asked frequently by Mrs. Riley and 
those most concerned, why he (John Benton) permitted 
the entrance of the evil spirits to the cabinet, John re- 
plied simply that he could not help it,. He said, "If you 
could only see them, — if you could only see how they 
come in armies, — how great their numbers are, — you 
would understand how it is that our band is not strong 
enough always to withstand them." Jim said lately in 
discussing this very mat.ter that he believed that this was 
one of the things which John Benton had learned in 
spirit life; namely, how to overcome the influence of the 
lower grade of spirits, and how to render their attempts 
to enter the circle futile. For it is a fact that these troub- 
lous phenomena which occurred several years ago, 
have of late years been seldom witnessed. Nor did it 
appear that these phenomena were due to some special 
inferiority of aim or character in the personnel of the 
sitters. The circle was changed frequently but the mani- 
festations were still malignant. 

For the first three hours, for instance, the seance 
would be progressing nicely; forms which were eager 
for recognition would come in numbers, and everything 
pointed to a successful sitting. Then, for no reason that 
any one could determine, there would come a long inter- 
val of silence, during which no manifestations were visi- 
ble. The circle would continue singing hymns, waiting 
for the renewal of the manifestations. At first they 
could not understand the reason of the sudden silence 
and general blankness. Mrs. Riley would ask John Ben- 

83 



ton for information what to do. She would say, "Do 
you want us to keep on singing?" Then from the front 
of the cabinet, near the circle, the point where John 
Benton's raps ordinarily came from, would come two 
raps, meaning "No." From other parts of the cabinet 
would come a multiplicity of raps, signifying, "Yes." 
Later when they were grown wise by experience, the 
circle came to know that when this seeming confusion of 
purpose showed itself in the cabinet, there was trouble 
brewing, and Mrs. Riley would then take it upon herself 
for Jim's protection to at once lift the curtain and throw 
the light in. At such times she has seen as many as 
four slates circling about in the air over the bed, to fall 
down with a clatter as quickly as the light fell on them. 
Jim would be sitting there in his trance as usual, but 
after a few minutes the light brought him out from un- 
der control. This, it seems to me, is a most interesting 
phase of the subject and should not be at all glossed 
over or suppressed. 

In point, of fact, these manifestations supply as good 
an argument in favor of the spiritualistic doctrine being 
true as one could wish. We have heard more than 
enough of the wearisome theory that all these manifes- 
tations are properties of the subconscious intelligence of 
the medium if the manifestations are genuine. But it is 
a part of that theory that the subconscious mind looks 
over to the protection of the interests and life of the 
medium. I shall await with some interest an explana- 
tion from the supporters of the aforesaid theory of how 
a subconscious intelligence shows its protection of the 
medium by hitting the medium over the head with the 

84 



jagged edge of a slate with such force that his head is 
cut open in several places and there are bumps on the 
skull for a week afterwards. 

At this time Mr. Clyde Goodrich, a druggist in Mar- 
cellus, was sitting with his wife two or three times a 
week at the Riley seances, and he was so impressed with 
the danger of these evil manifestations that he advised 
Mrs. Riley not to go near the cabinet to pick up the cur- 
tains, but to have an instrument made in the form of an 
arm with a hook at the end, by means of which she could 
lift the curtain to terminate the seance as soon as "the 
racket" in the cabinet warned her that something was 
wrong. John Benton said that the singing helped the 
evil spirits to manifest and he therefore rapped "No" 
to warn the circle. Mrs. Riley says that the evil spirits 
seemed to have just as much power to materialize as the 
good spirits. 

Only once was one of these spirits recognized by a 
member of the circle, but they would come right out in 
the circle, and take the slates in their hands, Mrs. Riley 
says, and break them in pieces over the stove. They 
would shake their fists in her face, and when she went to 
the curtain, they would clutch at her, but never did her 
any bodily harm. Before the circle had learned enough 
about these manifestations to interpret the confusion of 
raps as meaning that the bad spirits were in force, there 
would be noises and "a racket" in the cabinet. The 
spirits amused themselves by throwing things at the me- 
dium. The pictures were stripped off the walls ; the 
water pitcher was on one occasion thrown through the 
curtain and broken in pieces ; messages of a bloodthirsty 

85 



significance were written on the slates, such as : "We will 
hurt this man if you don't stop your sittings." On one 
occasion, at Nesbitt's house, Jim Riley was found when 
the curtain was thrown back by Mrs. Riley, still uncon- 
scious, but bleeding on the head from nine cuts, and 
other ridges or lumps formed on his skull next day, 
which he supposes were caused by t,he pounding of the 
slates on his skull before the frames broke, the cuts being 
made later by the jagged edges of the slates. 

It may be asked why John Benton who is supposed to 
have the management of these little affairs, did not re- 
lease the medium from the influence before the evil 
spirits got control. Jim says, in explanation, that he did 
not think John Benton knew how to exert his control 
when the evil spirits came in force, but he accounts for 
the infrequent manifestations of those spirits at the pres- 
ent day, on the ground that John Benton has learned 
how to control them, and for the past twelve years they 
have rarely made their appearance. 

There was one phenomena which occurred at that 
time which sounds incredible but which is only more 
wonderful in degree than those which have already been 
recorded here. It was this. Hearing the confusion of 
raps and the noise in the cabinet, Mrs. Riley went in 
quickly, raising the curtain, and she was just in time to 
prevent these evil ones from dropping the door on Jim. 
They had taken the bolts that hinge the door fastenings, 
and had swung the door round in such a way that when 
it fell, it would just hit Jim on the side of the head with 
considerable force. When Mrs. Riley entered the cabi- 
net, this door was just swaying towards Jim, sitting in 

86 



his chair with his head against the door-sill. Mrs. Riley 
caught the door before it fell, and this broke up the 
seance for the night. The bolts were found upon the 
bed. 

These evil influences came with greater or less fre- 
quency for a few years, when they gradually died away. 
John Benton says that these spirits are ignorant or unde- 
veloped; that their tendencies were either mischievous 
or deliberately evil, but that even in the course of the 
few years during which Riley had been holding his ma- 
terializations, many of them have already progressed 
from their earlier condition of evil purpose to a higher 
grade of intelligence. This seems quite reasonable, 
though why the medium should have been so completely 
the object of their attack, does not seem clear. One 
would naturally suppose that they would enjoy the op- 
portunity to work a little mischief, retaining sufficient 
wisdom or cunning not to molest the medium to whose 
powers they were indebted for this opportunity to mani- 
fest their power, because it is reasonably certain that to 
spirits of such an order, any display of power must be a 
fascinating possession. It is not clear, therefore, why 
they should have vented their spite upon the medium. 

Mr. Clyde Goodrich, the druggist in Marcellus, upon 
being questioned regarding the phenomena of a malig- 
nant type which he had witnessed at the Riley home, 
said that he had seen so many manifestations, it was 
difficult to call one-tenth part of them to mind, as one 
had a tendency to run into another, but he recollected 
that at one seance in which the evil influences were 
present, a slate was thrown through the curtains, bearing 



this message: "You people go home. You are working 
against God's laws." The message was signed "Rev. 
Father Hogg." Mr. Goodrich, acting as spokesman for 
the little band of investigators said, "We do not come 
here to work against the laws of God, we are here to 
prove if possible, the continuity of life beyond the grave. 
We do not wish your spirit to appear at our circles." 

Mr. Goodrich informed me that he had attended 
seances at the Riley home during the appearance of the 
evil spirits when he had been afraid for Jim's safety. 
Speaking of other phenomena which he had witnessed 
under Jim Riley's mediumship, he said that on one occa- 
sion there were two men present in the circle who espe- 
cially wished to see a dematerialization of the spirit form. 
John Benton was appealed to and he said he would see 
what he could do. The message was sent out later by 
means of the slate, that three raps would be the signal 
for the men to come forward and pull back the curtain. 
At the signal, the two men who were sitting in the front 
row, darted forward and pulled back the curtain, reveal- 
ing the form of John Benton in full light. The form 
fell apparently backward and melted into nothing. The 
men dropped the curtain and had scarcely turned round 
to return to their seats, before John Benton's form, fully 
materialized, again appeared at the curtain. 

But this is nothing to what Mr. Goodrich has seen 
from a continuous observation of these phenomena cov- 
ering a period of several years. Once, for example, he 
heard the voice of John Benton saying, "If you think 
you can stand the light, go out there." After some wav- 
ing of the curtain, John Benton drew it back, and two 

88 



forms fully formed were revealed in the light. One 
was John Benton, the other a new spirit unrecognized 
by t,he witness. The form of the medium was invisible, 
being on the other side of the door from the opening of 
the curtain ; but the two spirit forms were in clear relief. 

One of the most interesting things that has happened 
to Riley occurred during a severe sickness which visited 
him some years ago. He was under the care of Dr. 
Shillito, and his case, inflammatory rheumatism, with 
nervous exhaustion, had reached a point at which re- 
covery seemed extremely doubtful. At this time, how- 
ever, throughout the sickness, he was frequently en- 
tranced by his spirit guides, one of his "controls," Dr. 
Cottrell being especially to the front. When this trance 
condition came upon him, Jim would enter into conversa- 
tion with his visitors and watchers, speaking in the per- 
sonality of the guides, and his family were requested not 
to mourn, because "the medie" would assuredly come out 
all right and recover his full strength. At the same time, 
explicit directions were given by the control as to what 
was to be done for Jim, and which medicines left by the 
physician were to be administered and which were to be 
thrown away. When the critical period arrived, the con- 
trol spoke through Jim as follows : "We have now en- 
tranced our medium for the last time in this sickness, 
and to show you how completely we have taken posses- 
sion of him, we will prove to you that he has no feeling 
of pain in his inflamed feet." 

Jim then proceeded to kick his bandaged feet against 
the bed post, and in another second he was out of bed 
and standing on his feet. Not content with this demon- 

89 



stration of their power, his guides next stood him upon 
his head upon the floor, and being apparently satisfied 
with their remarkable exhibition, suffered him to return 
to bed. Still speaking under control, Jim said, "Now 
you see that we have taken the Medie thoroughly in 
charge, and all that is required is now to let him sleep, — 
let him sleep, and see that no one is allowed to disturb 
him till he wakes of his own accord. When he wakes he 
will be well. ,, Jim fell immediately into a deep sleep, 
from which he made a rapid recovery. It should be re- 
membered in analyzing this occurrence, that just before 
he passed under control, even a jar from a passing foot- 
step near the bed caused him excruciating suffering, 
which will be no news to any one who has experienced 
inflammatory rheumatism. 



90 



CHAPTER XIII. 

John Benton's Philosophy — Limitations of Spirit Power — Rein- 
carnation — Skepticism — Doubts. 

At a special seance held for the purpose of recording 
as nearly as might be John Benton's opinions upon sev- 
eral points of interest, the conditions secured at the dark 
seance, which usually precedes the materializations and 
which is looked upon as an index to what will appear at 
the after sitting, were very good, the manifestations be- 
ing strong and frequent. During the materializing seance 
which followed, messages came in three ways ; either by 
three raps for "yes," one rap for "no," or by writing on 
the slate, or as sometimes happened, by the deep voice 
of John Benton verbally imparting the information. 
(This chapter will be full of information to the investi- 
gator as well as to an avowed believer, from the fact 
that this information comes direct from Mr. Benton who 
has been in spirit life for sixty years, and is in a posi- 
tion to give accurate information along these lines.) 

After the singing of "The Suwanee River," "Old 
Folks at Home," and "Nearer, My God, To Thee," raps 
came on the cabinet wall. The questions had all been 
written down beforehand, and were occasionally laid 
aside while the force gathered more strength through 

91 



the singing of a hymn by the circle. The questions and 
answers followed, the questions being aloud and the an- 
swers rapped, written or spoken from the cabinet. "Are 
you present, Mr. Benton?" "Yes." "Will you answer 
the list of questions for us ?" "Yes, if possible." "Have 
you a perfect memory now of every incident of import- 
ance in your earth life?" "No; (on slate) but a better 
memory." "When Mr. Riley's mediumship is at an end, 
is your mission to earth life closed, — ended?" "Yes." 
"Have you in spirit life, a sense of heat and cold?" "No." 
"Have you a sense of sorrow and joy?" "Yes." "Are 
your emotions as keen as ours ?" "No." "Do you know 
the oncoming of old age as we know it?" "No." "Can 
you experience the sex love of man and woman?" "Yes." 
"The question relates to the sex love as mortals know it. 
Is communion the same?" "Communion (by slate) and 
sex love, but not the same." "Have you united families 
in the spirit world?" "Yes, (slate) remember the law 
of attraction holds families together; if no love, no at- 
traction." "Is there telepathy in the spirit world as a 
common gift, or is it something that must be learned 
gradually? Is it a gift to all?" "Yes." "It has not to 
be learned?" "No." "Do you prefer to commune with 
each other by speech or thought? Thought?" "Yes." "Is 
your own state happier than on earth?" "Yes." "Is your 
power of grasping happiness greater than on earth?" 
"Yes." "Do you know any more of your ultimate des- 
tiny now than when on earth?" "Yes." "Do you know 
that reincarnation is possible?" "Yes, (slate) but not 
probable." "If possible is the spirit selected for a re- 
birth without choice in the matter?" "Yes, (slate) I am 

92 



only an individual. I know not. It may be true. (Later) 
Speaking of reincarnation, I must explain. I meet many 
who say it is a fact, for they remember their previous re- 
imbodiment. Let me say I have seen suffering enough 
on the physical plane, and have no desire to return to it ; 
I do not wish reincarnation to be true. (Later) My dear 
ones, I will be more explicit when I visit the wise ones 
again. I do not wish it (reincarnation) to be true but 
I will give it as they give it to me." "Have you sense 
of day and night?" "No." "Is your time fully occu- 
pied?" "Yes." "Can you be in two places at once?" 
"No." "Is it indeed summerland with you?" "Not all 
the time." "Do you know any more of Christ than you 
knew when on earth's plane?" "No." "Do you know 
any more of God?" "Yes, (slate) God is a principle." 
"Do you knew anything more of the Apostles ?" "Yes." 
"Which of the Apostles, — John?" "No, (by rappings) 
Barnabas." "Any others?" "Yes." "Is it the mission 
of the higher grades of spirits to assist other spirits, 
rather than to come back to assist mortals?" "Yes." 
"Then is it rather the mission of those who have but 
lately passed over to return and assist mortals ?" "Yes." 
"Is the time at hand when the veil between the two 
worlds shall be lifted, and men shall talk with angels?" 
"Not yet, (slate) you are on the borderland; you must 
cross the Plains first." "Is it true that the soul of liv- 
ing man can manifest itself in other material forms in 
the same way as your departed spirit has clothed itself 
in a material form tonight ?" "Yes." "Is it possible for 
a human being by living such a life as the Adepts of 
India teach and practice to build a spiritual body in the 

93 



flesh and practically defy death, retaining the physical 
for hundreds of years without passing through the 
change which we call death? Is this possible?" (Slate) 
"Not while the conditions on your earth plane exist as 
at present." "Has the subconscious mind of man the 
power in itself of foretelling future happenings ?" "No." 
"Let me put the question in another way. Is clairvoy- 
ance a spirit gift impressed upon the mind of a mortal 
by aid of departed spirits?" "Yes." "Then clairvoy- 
ance is not within the category of mental attainments?" 
(Slate) "No, there is spirit help." "Here is a long ques- 
tion, Mr. Benton. Suppose the following case: Two 
human beings, mother and daughter, are so closely united 
in affection that one seems to be an echo of the other. 
The mother lives apparently but for her daughter's hap- 
piness. Then one day the daughter dies, leaving the 
mother anxious, sorrowful, hungry for a word, a touch, 
a look from the departed one. There is nothing vouch- 
safed, not a whisper to relieve the suffering mother. The 
mother is an agnostic, hoping for continuity of life, but 
no assured belief in it. Does the heart of the spirit- 
daughter still vibrate with love for her mother?" "Most 
assuredly (slate) yes." "Cannot the daughter communi- 
cate with, or manifest herself to her mother without the 
aid of a medium?" "Yes, my dear sir, (slate) but the 
mother does not open the door of her soul for the 
daughter." "The fault then, is with the mother?" 
"Yes." "And if the mother changes her attitude, com- 
munications can be interchanged?" "Yes." "There is 
a theory afloat, Mr. Benton, that all these manifestations, 
materializations, etc., are the property of the subcon- 

94 



scious mind. Can you refute this?" "Yes." "Can you 
reason both inductively and deductively ?" "Yes." "We 
may leave the arranging of some test bearing on this 
point till later on?" "Yes, we will see what we can do 
to explode that theory." "Can the departed spirit always 
see us?" "No." "Can they always read our thoughts?" 
"No." "That is all. Tnank you. Good-night." After 
which Jim came out of his trance, concluding about one 
o'clock in the morning. 



95 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Explanations — Theories— Spiritualist's Explanations — 
Conclusions. 

I will now assume that the reader is here in my place 
and has witnessed what I have. The one thing that re- 
flection has made you sure of, is that Jim's mediumship 
is genuine, and that he is innocent of deception in pro- 
ducing materializations. Now there remain two or three 
ways of accounting for the forms. The first explanation 
would be that while Jim is under control, while he is 
unconscious of what is transpiring, he assumes the dress 
and disguise of different characters, and impersonates 
the forms. This is what a skeptic would say. The 
writer says that it is easier for the spirit to control the 
medium to do these, than t,o perform them himself. But 
against this, it would be impossible to secrete these va- 
rious disguises either about the person of the medium, 
or in the cabinet; and as this cabinet has always been 
my bedroom, I can assure the readers of this book that 
there is no part of it which has not been vigorously ex- 
amined by me many times. 

A skeptic's explanation of this impersonation would 
also include slate-writing which he would say might be 
done by the medium while controlled by the spirit of 

96 



John Benton. Granting that this is satisfactory to the 
skeptic, let us put ourselves for a moment in Jim Riley's 
place and see how we would then look at the matter. 
We go into the cabinet and unconsciousness comes upon 
us; we know no more until we are somehow aroused 
some twenty minutes later ; we find ourselves in precisely 
the same position in which we were when we went under 
the influence, — that is to say, we are sitting with our 
head pressed against the door-sill. When we are fully 
awakened they, the circle, tell us many things have hap- 
pened. Forms have appeared at the curtain, slates have 
been passed out, bearing messages from loved ones, etc., 
etc. Now if these phenomena have occurred and the 
circle is quite positive on that point, and if you have no 
recollection, you, the medium, of anything of the kind, 
are you not fully justified in assuming that you had 
nothing whatever to do with the production of the phe- 
nomena? And have you not a perfect right to feel in- 
dignant and even bitter if anyone questions your good 
faith and honesty? Surely you have, and this explana- 
tion will suffice for the slate-writing mediums and will 
suffice for the materializations of some mediums which 
are not materializations but impersonations, and yet 
which are none the less the work of some force, spiritual 
or physical, which dominates the medium while normal 
personality sleeps. 

Right here, permit me to say that there never has been 
any impersonation in Jim Riley's mediumship. None 
whatever. The curtain has been thrown back while Jim 
is under control. Jim can be seen leaning his head 
against the door-sill, and when the curtain is thrown 

97 



back it makes the cabinet light, and you can see the spirit 
form go all to pieces. That is, what it is built up of, will 
dematerialize. I think you will agree with me that the 
impersonating theory will not do at Jim Riley's sittings. 

But now let us look at t,he matter from another view- 
point. Suppose the phenomena are, as I now believe 
them to be, genuine. What explanation of the wig fea- 
ture would be given by the Spiritualists, or Theosophists, 
if appealed to for an answer? I am not quite sure of 
the Theosophists, for their talk of astrals is very befog- 
ging ; but a Spiritualist would say this : These forms 
that you see are not the spirit forms of the departed as 
they now exist in spirit life. They are the forms which 
are built up with the aid of John Benton, the cabinet 
guide, out of "the memories" of those who come to the 
seance as spectators, and out of the memories of the 
spirits who come to the circle. For instance, if a one- 
legged man dies and comes to the circle, the form that 
appears at the curtain has one leg, and if there be any 
one present that remembers this spirit in earth life, he 
will remember most especially the one-leg feature; but 
if there be none present who can recognize this spirit, 
he is none the less wise in coming with one leg, because 
in that form he stands the best chance of bringing him- 
self to the recollection of some one in the circle at this 
time, or any future time. But his spirit form has two 
legs, and it is the earth condition that gives him the ap- 
pearance of having only one ; so each form that material- 
izes gathers such features about it as will be most readily 
recognized by the circle. 

The materials of which some of these forms are com- 

98 



posed give the form the appearance of having been al- 
most thrown together. The hair does not look like real 
hair, the beard does not look like a real beard, the lace 
of the sleeves of a dress may be only the appearance of 
lace, and if the arm of such a form as this last is ex- 
amined closely, it will be seen that the lace, instead of 
being separated from the body, as in earth life, is in very 
truth a part of the skin itself. The real spirits are in- 
visible to us ; the forms they take on are only coverings ; 
rough, perhaps, to our eyes, but assumed for a purpose 
only, for the purpose of securing recognition. And in 
this matter, if the spirit has plenty of force at his com- 
mand, if he is not too anxious, and is confident, the 
form will be clearer and better finished; the details will 
be more elaborate than when conditions are not good, 
and when the work is hurriedly done. All this, if taken 
in slowly and without any desire to belittle the possible 
significance of the phenomena, is quite reasonable. 

Anyone who comes to Jim Riley's house and attends 
his sittings, together with what you see of him, and 
knowing Jim's word is as good as his bond, will go away 
firmly believing that Jim Riley is an honest medium and 
that his phenomena are genuine till the day they die. 
Later on I will add testimonials that he has received 
from people who have been here and have seen and 
conversed with their dear ones who have passed to the 
other life. Some of them so appreciate Jim's efforts in 
their behalf that they call him their Savior. Such is the 
case of a gentleman who received a communication from 
his sister that, stopped him on his downward career and 
made a man of him. An account of this will be given in 
a following chapter. 

99 



CHAPTER XV. 

A Small Seance — The Inspiration — Alcohol and its Effect — The 
Logical Result. 

Last night we had a small family seance. Jim had 
run out of chewing tobacco. The lack of this made him 
restless during the day, and he was not in the best mental 
condition to sit at night. Strange, upon what insignifi* 
cant a preparation hinge the most important results. Jim 
always has a chew of tobacco in his mouth when he 
goes into the cabinet. Sometimes a message is sent out 
on a slate that if "they" are to hold the medium under 
control, some one of the sitters must go into the cabinet 
and put a chew of tobacco into the medium's mouth. 
Sometimes in t.heir officious friendliness, the chosen min- 
isters are over zealous, arguing perhaps that the more 
tobacco, the better the phenomena, and Jim comes forth 
at the close of the seance with his cheeks bulging like 
a cherub's. However, the fact, remains that if he is not 
comfortable when he goes into the cabinet, the trance 
condition will soon terminate. 

There being so small a circle, we did not expect much 
in the way of phenomena, but an experiment was tried 
which may yet, on repetition, produce some very fine tests. 
This was to turn the light in the room completely out, 

100 



raising the blind to allow the moonlight to stream in, and 
throwing back the curtain of the cabinet, or bedroom, 
permitting the form of the medium to be seen in the 
dark outline sitting by the door, one-half of his body 
being visible. We sat thus for some little while, and Jim 
joined us in the singing of hymns. From where I sat, 
having a view of the medium's body, it seemed difficult, 
if not impossible, that he should have had a hand in 
touching a slate lying on the bed behind him. There 
were only two slates in t,he house, and these two were 
thrown upon the bed. While we were singing, there 
was unmistakable, sharp tapping of a pencil on the slate, 
and presently one of the slates struck the floor, as if it 
had been thrown down with some violence. 

Not having the benefit of the evidence of my eye sight 
in this matter, I do not attach any importance to the 
phenomenon, and only mention it, as perhaps foreshad- 
owing some greater test which we may receive under 
similar conditions. Upon taking the slate to the light in 
the next room, no message was found upon it ; only the 
marks here and there made by the tapping of the pencil. 
To get better results we then dropped the curtain and 
lighted the lamp, and shortly afterwards the form of 
John Benton appeared, bowed, and disappeared, followed 
by the figure of an old man of venerable aspect, with a 
very presentable, long, gray beard. He waved his hand 
towards the window, against the casing of which the cat 
of the house, expelled for her sins, was making a vigor- 
ous scratching. Again the figure waved solemnly. "Is 
it the cat?" asked Mrs. Riley. The form nodded his 
head. "Shall we let her in?" Again a nod. Mrs. Riley 

101 



got up, laughed, and let the animal in. Apparently satis- 
fied, the form retired and disappeared. He was not rec- 
ognized. Soon after this, Jim came out of his trance. 
After walking about a little while and talking of many 
subjects foreign to spiritualism, he let fall the remark 
that he was waiting for his "inspiration" before going 
"back in." An inquiry drew from him the explanation 
that this inspiration took the form first of a tingling all 
over him, then a sort, of shiver, and then he heard "the 
voice within" saying "Now" or "Go." Always a brief 
command. Then he knew the time had arrived, and went 
into the cabinet. 

Upon trying it again last night, a slate message was 
sent to Mrs. Riley from her cousin in spirit life, and 
after that, a long time, a slate was handed out to me 
bearing the signature "John Benton," and containing 
the message, "I do not advocate intemperance, but I 
think if our medie had a drink of whiskey and a chew 
of tobacco to steady his nerves, you will get the tests you 
are looking for. This brings to mind the matter of a 
conversation with Jim which I had a week ago upon the 
point. "Can you tell me," said Jim, "why it is, if for 
any reason it is important that I should get phenomena 
for a particular seance, that I am always sure the phe- 
nomena will be good, and every one tells me they are 
good, if I am given a drink of whiskey before I go into 
the cabinet ? And I can be around alcohol, have it close 
to rne for a month at a time, and never touch a drink — 
never want to touch a drink; but just as sure as I take 
a drink of whiskey, — now, mind, it's just facts I am 
giving you — and go into the cabinet, the phenomena are 

102 



stronger and better than ever. Now how is it no one 
can explain that?" 

I suppose that the alcohol quickens the vibrations ; 
couldn't see any other explanation than that; but. it 
struck me as affording a significant explanation of why 
so many mediums during the later stages of their career 
show a leaning towards strong drink. It seems that the 
phenomena occasion a drain upon the nervous system, 
which an artificial stimulant offsets, and though Jim is 
not a drinking man, he feels the stimulating influence of 
a drink of whiskey just before his sittings. By this it 
must be supposed that he takes a drink before a seance 
as a matter of course. On the contrary, he is strictly 
temperate, from my observation of him; but, there the 
fact remains; artificial stimulation produces higher vi- 
bration ; less nervousness ; more harmonious equilibrium ; 
and following from that, more harmony, better phenom- 
ena. Of course, it does not take a very wise head to 
understand that if the pendulum swings well one way, 
it must swing well back the other ; and that if these phe- 
nomena are produced under artificial stimulation the re- 
action must be correspondingly intense. But this matter 
is put before you as in some degree an explanation of 
why so many mediums of a promising beginning give 
themselves up before many years' experience before the 
public to intoxication. The story is very common, and 
the moral obvious. We should rather attribute the cause 
of their downfall to a naturally creditable desire to give 
the public the fullest satisfaction, than to gratification 
of a mere appetite and craving. We are ever too ready 
to blame. 



103 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Old Accounts — Adverse Influence — Clyde Goodrich's Experience- 
Remarkable Seance. 

The writer has been acquainted with Mr. Goodrich for 
the past twenty years. He is an estimable gentleman, 
an ardent Spiritualist, and one who will not countenance 
fraud of any -kind. He is in the drug business in Mar- 
cellus, and has known Jim all his life. He furnished 
a few clippings from newspapers relating to his observa- 
tion of Riley's phenomena many years ago. It was at 
that time, Jim's custom to sit with flour in his hands 
when under control, in order to show the sitters that 
should he do these things the flour would spill on the 
floor. This was some eighteen years ago; this is not 
required of him now as his mediumship is not questioned. 

Here is an account furnished by Mrs. O. F. Smith of 
Vicksburg, Mich., to the "Progressive Thinker" under 
date of July 9, 1892. To the Editor : 

"A circumstance occurred a few days ago which I 
would like to relate to the readers of your valuable 
paper. Friends of mine from La Grange, Ind., went 
to Marcellus, Mich., to attend a seance with Mr. James 
Riley, the materializing medium. Two of the friends 
were Spiritualists, and one was an honest investigator. 

104 



They had engaged the evening some time previous to 
their departure from home. So on their arrival at Mr. 
Riley's home, they found him ready for the seance, and 
all were about ready to enter the seance room when a 
stranger came and asked admittance to the seance. Mr. 
Riley told him he could not permit him to enter, as the 
other gentlemen had the evening by previous engage- 
ment; but he insisted, and said he had come some dis- 
tance on purpose to attend the seance, and would be dis- 
appointed if he could not do so. The gentlemen then 
said they would not object if all could sit in harmony, 
and he was admitted." 

"Mr. Riley then entered the cabinet, but no manifesta- 
tions were received. The medium then came out of the 
cabinet, sat and talked a while, then went back again; 
but there were no manifestations. Finally a slate was 
handed out on which was written, 'Conditions are such 
that we cannot do anything tonight.' The three men 
paid Mr. Riley for his time, assuring him that they would 
come again. At ten o'clock they took the hack for the 
station, the stranger going with them. On the way to 
the station, they were discussing the seance and talking 
about going again, when the stranger said, T do not 
believe one word of his stuff. He is a humbug and a 
fraud, and I went there to break him up, and should have 
done it if he had tried any of his games on me. I am a 
Catholic, and came for the purpose of breaking him up. 
His people, the Spiritualists, are our worst enemies, and 
we are after t,hem. We will do all we can to destroy 
them, and we can do it, too/ " 

"It seems that his words are true in more cases than 

105 



one, for the poor mediums are suffering from their 
subtle influence. To know their threats and determina- 
tion may put some mediums on their guard against such 
influences. I can see no reason why we should be dis- 
couraged, for we have truth and the heavenly host to 
sustain us." 

(Signed,) "Mrs. C. F. Smith." 

Here is, indeed, a strange occurrence to reflect upon ; 
namely, that the adverse thought of one sitter was suf- 
ficiently strong to prevent the manifestations earnestly 
desired by at least three other persons in the circle. And 
what were the heavenly hosts about that they could not 
prevent this adverse influence from disturbing their 
medie? But it is reasonable to conclude that the ex- 
planation is rather to be found in the fact, that for 
some reason, perhaps unknown to himself, Jim Riley 
was not in the mood to permit a manifestation through 
his mediumship, to us. We have the temerity to smile at 
the bigotry of the various creeds, whether Catholic, 
Presbyterian, Methodist, or anything else ; it seems a little 
absurd that Spiritualists should ever have felt it neces- 
sary to arm themselves against the destroying influ- 
ences projected against them by the following of the sec- 
tarian pulpits. However, we should do wisejy to re- 
member that, according to John Benton's philosophy 
of the hereafter, Catholics are Catholics, and for some 
reason which chimes with their faith, are as averse to 
these spiritualistic seances, as their brethren on earth. 
He alone, is free, I think, who bows the knee to no sect 
or creed, worshiping God in his heart. 

Mr. Goodrich handed me also, the following account 

106 



of one or two of his first experiences at the Riley home, 
which he sent, to the "Progressive Thinker," and which 
was printed July 9, 1892. The account is as follows : 

"Many communications have appeared in the "Pro- 
gressive Thinker" and from time to time in the daily 
newspapers all over the country, giving accounts of 
seances held with J. W. Riley of Marcellus, Mich., but 
those published by the secular press are largely over- 
drawn and inaccurate in most cases. We submit the fol- 
lowing accurate account of some personal experiences. 
It was in November of last year that the writer, in com- 
pany with five of the business men of this village, made 
the first visit. We had heard many stories of his powers, 
but like other skeptics did not believe that the manifes- 
tations actually occurred as they were told to us, al- 
though informed by persons whose word we had no rea- 
son to doubt." 

"We arranged for a sitting and drove out to his home 
at the time set The evening was a very rainy one, but 
our zeal to investigate the mysterious was enough to 
overcome such difficulties. The seance, owing to the fact 
that it was a mixed circle and was composed of six in- 
dividuals of different families, and was their first ex- 
perience in such matters, was not as successful as those 
of later visits. But we saw enough to convince us that 
there was no trickery practiced, and to make us wish 
to see more. Several full forms were materialized, and 
most of them were recognized." 

"The medium usually sits in a small bedroom, which 
is made very dark. The room the members of the circle 
sit in, is lighted with a lamp turned down, but giving 

107 



light enough at all times to see the time by the watch 
in any part of the room, and to read the slate-written 
messages if carried to the lamp. These seances are given 
under strict test conditions. At one seance the control, 
John Benton, wrote on a slate, saying that when he ap- 
peared at the curtains, to have two members of the circle 
who were sitting in front to get to the curtains as 
quickly as possible and hold them open. It is needless to 
say that no time was lost in doing so. When the cur- 
tains were parted, the materialized form was seen to go 
backward in a different direction than that of the medium 
and fade away, while the medium was seen to be sitting 
in his chair with his face in his hands. The control 
then wrote that he believed that this had never before 
been attempted through any medium." 

"One of the best seances it, has been our fortune to 
attend was held on June 9th. There were present Dr. 
C. B. Spinney, of Detroit, Mr. A. Vlerebome (your 
humble servant), another gentleman, W. S. Strong, and 
a party of seven from Marcellus Almost immediately 
after the medium had taken his position, the curtains 
parted and the tall form of Mr. Benton stepped out of 
the cabinet with a bunch of roses, and handed each lady 
in the circle a rose. A bunch of roses had been previ- 
ously laid on the bed in the cabinet by one of the ladies. 
(The writer well remembers that one of the ladies re- 
marked that Mr. Benton would get his hands full of 
thorns.) Many slate-written messages were received and 
forms recognized. The light was turned up so as to 
make the room very light on three different forms who 
stood for a moment and then went back, the light being 
so strong they could not stay long." 

108 



"The sensation of the evening came when a slate was 
handed out to Mrs. Riley who read the message ; 'Ladies 
and Gentlemen, I am requested to make my appearance 
to greet you all with good cheer.' "George Washing- 
ton." Immediately the curtains parted and the well- 
known towering form of Washington stood before us, 
— the buckles on his shoes, the knee breeches, the wig 
upon his head, etc. He was attired in full Continental 
suit. He disappeared and every one exclaimed, 'How 
beautiful! Please come again.' The second time he 
built up from the floor; the first we saw was his head 
on the floor; he slowly arose until he filled the little 
doorway, six feet. He then disappeared, and the slate 
was handed out, bearing the message, T am pleased to 
meet you. I must return.' "George Washington." 

"The seance was a splendid one in every respect and 
shows that under proper conditions, wonderful mani- 
festations will occur. This article is not written as an 
advertisement of Mr. Riley, as he is not a professional 
medium and does not need the advertising. He is at all 
times willing to aid the earnest seeker for light, and 
through his powers has given consolation to many who 
could not rely on 'faith' as an evidence of future life and 
existence, and he has caused joy in the hearts of others 
who thought they had the faith but admitted that direct 
evidence was better than to rely upon any book for their 
information." 

(Signed.) "C. G. Marcellus, Mich." 

Right here I will add that I was present at this sitting 
as you have noticed. W. S. Strong and I came down 

109 



from Grand Rapids. Mr. Strong's brother materialized 
at this sitting. After the sitting we took a night train 
to Schoolcraft, Mich., went to a hotel and to bed in 
order to catch a Lake Shore train in the morning to 
Grand Rapids. We went to bed ; raps came on the head 
of our bed; I said to Mr. Strong, "Who is that?" He 
replied, "My brother," and he held quite a conversation 
with him. I had invited Mr. Strong to go to this sitting, 
knowing that he had never seen anything like it. Strong 
remarked, "Vlerebome, they haven't that kind of suits 
up here in the woods of Michigan." In a later chapter 
I will give the account of a sitting with Riley on May 
3, 1909. Mr. Strong passed over some eight years ago. 
At this sitting he materialized for me. 



110 



CHAPTER XVII. 

Approach of an Adept — The Old Man — Abraham Lincoln — Ma- 
terials for Materializing. 

The conviction is settling upon my soul that the test 
I seek, will not or cannot be accorded. Last night we 
had another seance at which Mr. and Mrs. Rimes, Miss 
Dollie and the family composed the circle. Jim gave me 
the best seat, and my hopes ran high, that at last I 
should receive tangible proof of the fading out proper- 
ties of these materialized forms. The seance opened 
as usual with sacred song. Presently a slate came out 
for Mrs. Riley. The message was, "Do not ask for 
any one. Leave us to do our work our own way. We 
are trying to quicken the vibrations of the medium." 
Another slate, this time for me from John Benton. 
"Dear Brother, do not be discouraged. We are trying 
to give you a test never given before to one on your 
plane." Soon afterwards Jim "came out" and the circle 
rested. He seemed very nervous, much more so than 
usual. "There is some influence here, tonight," he said, 
"which is strange to me. It seems far off, far away, I 
can't make it out." He muttered something to himself 
and I caught the words "exalted," "carried away." After 
a rest of fifteen minutes, he resumed his seat in the 
cabinet. We were all perhaps, rather keyed up with 

111 



anticipation. Shortly, another slate: "We have with us 
tonight, a stranger from the Far East, an Adept, who 
lived on earth ten thousand years ago. We shall try to 
show him to you." 

"John Benton." 

Good news, indeed. We sang many hymns ; one or 
two forms appeared, but none were strong enough to 
give any test. Presently, Jim "came out" again to our 
disappointment. "They don't seem to be able to hold 
you tonight, pa," said Miss Dollie. Agreed to, but in- 
explicable. This seems to be just as incomprehensible 
to Jim as to the rest of the circle. He says, "You had 
better try singing something quicker, — get quicker vibra- 
tions. I feel somehow that the old hymn won't do for 
tonight. I feel differently, as if a quicker vibration was 
wanted." Again he "went under Control" ; and again 
a long wait. No manifestations. The curtain waved 
and continued waving throughout "Tramp, Tramp, 
Tramp, the Boys are Marching." 

An old man, whose features, because of his frequent 
appearance at these seances, are becoming deeply im- 
pressed upon my mind, came out, paused as if he had 
forgotten something, and went back. Somehow, I begin 
to feel attracted to this old gentleman. No one ever 
recognizes him, but he comes with the regularity of the 
yearly almanac, slightly bent, making no sign to the 
circle. He, with difficulty, holds back the curtain for a 
moment, with his eyes bent on the ground, lets himself 
be seen, and then, apparently satisfied, drops out of sight 
and takes his place, presumably in the concourse of 
spirits. If he comes again tonight, we will try to get his 
name from John Benton. 

112 



Every other form looks the circle squarely in the 
face, but this old man never looks up. Ha ! we are per- 
haps on the heels of a spirit tragedy! Again Jim 
"comes out." An adjournment is made for supper. It 
is time that something was done; the circle is badly de- 
moralized and hopes have sunk to zero. Refreshed 
by supper and a cheerful talk, we again assemble and 
take ud the burden of "Marching thro' Georgia," "Where 
is My Wandering Boy Tonight?" "Beulah Land," and 
other airs. "John Brown's Body" is sung with spirit. 
A long wait. During the last three or four seances "the 
forces" have begun to "draw" upon me strongly. There's 
a "pricking in my limbs," my arms are painful, the in- 
visibles are running needles into my knees, and an elec- 
tric breeze disturbs the roots of my hair. Minnie, the 
baby of the house, is still one of the circle. Blessed 
child! She sheds a cooling and gentle influence about 
her. Her eyes are heavy with sleep; it is now close to 
one o'clock in the morning. Jim coughs again, and the 
curtains are thrown back. He does not come out of his 
chair, however, and asks how the materializations are. 
"Nothing materialized yet," says Mrs. Riley, "to speak 
of. We don't know what the trouble is." "Try it again, 
now," says Jim, and we sing once more. 

Two members of the family went to bed before sup- 
per. The last boy, Fred, now says goodnight, and goes 
upstairs. The remnant of the old guard settles back once 
more in their chairs. Mrs. Riley gets no further than 
the first verse of "Summerland." She is asleep. Peace 
to her! good woman, wearied with the day's work and 
the cooking for many mouths. Another long wait;. The 

113 



singing, supported by Mrs. Rimes, Miss Dollie, and Min- 
nie. A slate for me, which I take into the next room 
to read. "The medium is unable to remain any longer 
under control. We will try again this evening." 

"A. Lincoln." 

As I re-enter the room, the circle is fully aroused. 
There is a form at the curtain. It points toward a pic- 
ture on the wall, the picture of Abraham Lincoln to 
which the form bears a striking resemblance. "That's 
who it is," says Mrs. Riley, "sure he's pointing at his pic- 
ture." The figure bows and disappears. Immediately the 
medium is out of his trance, the curtain thrown back, 
and the light turned up. Jim is very shaky and nervous, 
"trembly" he calls it. He thinks they were trying to 
make conditions for the next seance, but confesses that a 
seance of this kind is just as hard on him, if not worse, 
than one in which the phenomena are as thick as bees. 
He has been sitting tonight in his own bedroom for a 
cabinet and one of the last messages on the slate bore 
the advice to the circle to try the other room next time. 

Jim sits up to smoke a pipe before going to bed and 
delivers himself of an important utterance. "Martha," 
he says, "won't be bothered with anything of the kind, but 
if we tried we ought to be able to find out what it is 
they want to materialize with. Once they told me that 
a pan of fresh earth in the room would help, and they 
said something about sulphur being good to help condi- 
tions. We never sit without a jug of water in the cabi- 
net if we remember it, but there was no water in the 
room tonight. I suppose we ought look after those things 
and help them all we can by giving them what they can 
use to build up with." 

114 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

No Test — The Music Box — Doctor Jones — Consolation — Mischief 
— Queer Phenomena — Spirit Incredulity — Deductions. 

At last night's sitting we had a view of the medium sit- 
ting in his chair while the spirit form held aside the 
curtain. Mrs. Riley and Mr. Rimes were also witnesses 
to this fact. The company cannot, of course, enter into 
my wish to have tests of all the phenomena to verify 
the materialization of a spirit form by sense of touch. 
To them as seen is a fact, and they do not trouble them- 
selves with the opinions of those who are outside the 
circle, and who have not seen. It was about one o'clock 
in the morning when, after many forms had appeared 
and some remarkable phenomena witnessed, Mrs. Riley 
said, "Is Dr. Cottrell there?" Three raps. "Can Mr. 
Flower go up to the curtain, Dr. Cottrell, and can you 
show him the figure of the medium sitting in his chair?" 
The answer was written on a slate. It was, "Not to- 
night, lady." 

One phenomena was very curious. There is a large 
music-box in the cabinet which, in the days when these 
manifestations were very powerful and varied, used to 
play an important part in them, being frequently picked 
up by the forms and offered to members of the circle. 

115 



It is no slight muscular feat to pick up this music-box 
and place it gently in the hands of some one sitting in 
a chair, and all this without the sound of a footstep or 
a quickened breathing. This was accomplished last night. 
A tall form which was at once recognized as John 
Benton came out of the cabinet, bearing the music-box in 
his hands. I (the writer) got up and took the music-box. 
In fact, I was afraid he would go all to pieces — dema- 
terialize — before I took it out of his hands ; for the 
music-box is a very large and heavy one. Mr. Benton 
bowed to the sitters and returned to the cabinet. Slate 
was handed out with this message: 'There will be no 
more manifestations tonight; the medium is exhausted." 

"John Benton." 
Speaking again with Jim concerning the use of a pan 
of earth in assisting the forms to materialize, he said 
that they had tried it once but after the seance the earth 
was found scattered all over the floor and Martha had 
strongly objected. "They don't seem to care much what 
they do," Jim said. "You'd suppose they'd fall in with 
our wishes and try to please us all they could, but they 
don't ; you never know." And this brings us to another 
phase of spirit phenomena ; one which is not less in- 
teresting than anything that has been already recorded, 
but which betrays a disposition closely allied to the mis- 
chievous. When Minnie, the youngest child, was a baby 
in arms, the spirits, manifesting their presence at that 
time chiefly by raps, took a great interest in her, fre- 
quently assuring Jim that his mediumship at a later day 
would descend to her. They showed their interest some- 
times in a peculiar manner. During the afternoons when 

116 



Mr. and Mrs. Riley left the house, leaving Minnie asleep 
on the bed, they twice found on their return that the 
door of the bedroom in which the child lay had been 
fastened on the inside by pushing the thumb-latch above 
the lock, thus preventing the handle from being- turned. 
There was no way by which any one could enter the 
room and perform this act. 

In order to get to the child it was now necessary to 
take the door down. On the same night, Mrs. Riley 
received a communication from Ezra (her dead brother) 
to the effect that they had locked the baby in the room 
just to show that they were about. This was considered 
a pretty good joke, and voted to be "just like Ezra,, 
plaguing somebody." But, when the same thing hap- 
pened the next day, it ceased to be amusing. It is 
scarcely funny to take a door off its hinges every time 
you want to get into a certain room. The thing \ s 
remarkable enough, however, to warrant sending for 
the locksmith, and the lock was examined to see if by 
chance the slamming of the door would cause the bolt 
to fall, thus possibly accounting for the occurrence. 
But it was proved conclusively that, no amount of slam- 
ming would stir the bolt, or prevent the door from 
being opened as usual by the handle. That night Ezra 
was firmly rebuked and bluntly informed that if any 
tricks of that kind were resorted to again there would 
be no more sittings, whereupon Ezra, being contrite, 
promised that he would not so offend again. 

Later, Jim sat in the same room in daylight with a 
circle, all holding hands, to see if the phenomena could 
be repeated. They took the precaution of placing Min- 

117 



nie on the bed before trying the experiment. Sure 
enough, the thumb latch was found to have been shot 
when one of the circle arose to investigate. "I can't 
understand," said Jim, in speaking of this, "why they 
should seem to take pleasure in doing things like this, 
and then suddenly quit, and maybe for a year or more 
do nothing of this kind at all." Some other inexplica- 
ble phenomena of this kind have occurred in the house, 
such as, the unlocking of the front door, turning the 
handle and throwing the door wide open, on one occa- 
sion scaring a sitter so badly that he departed in haste 
for Marcellus. This particular investigator had been 
in the house for several days, having a nightly sitting, 
his idea being to reconcile the phenomena he witnessed 
with his understanding of natural law. But the phenom- 
ena dazed him, and when ghostly hands in full light 
unlocked a door which he had just seen locked, and in 
which there was a pane of glass permitting any object 
on both sides to be easily discerned, and when that 
door was flung wide open, he gave "it up. 

The limitations of this power are just as strange to 
me as its manifestations. For instance, which of us 
would boast of his power to rock a chair. One night, 
when Jim and his wife had gone to bed in the room 
off the parlor, lying to the east side of the house (the 
door which from the head of the bed gave a view into 
the parlor itself), rappings on the head of the bed an- 
nounced that the forces desired to manifest. Jim was 
weary and told them to go away and let him sleep; but 
Mrs. Riley has always a desire to welcome them when- 
ever they come, and she spelled out the raps. They said, 

118 



"We can rock the armchair." The armchair stood near 
the window in the parlor, and in the moonlight was dis- 
tinctly visible. She said, "If you can, let's see you do 
it." They rapped, "Sing." So Jim was constrained 
to sit up in bed and take an interest in the proceedings, 
and, under the influence of song, the rocker began to 
vibrate and move, and presently rocked away merrily 
all by itself, no force being visible. 

It has often been asserted by John Benton that, spirit 
is always invisible; that it is utterly impossible for the 
human eye in the normal exercise of its function to 
behold a spirit. Even a clairvoyant, seeing with the 
abnormal vision which is vouchsafed to some, sees only 
the forms in which the spirits are clothed. The es- 
sence of his being is as much a mystery to the spirit 
decarnate, as to the spirit incarnate, and this is a good 
thing to remember. And there is another point of great 
importance to bear in mind. We who have absorbed a 
belief in the continuity of the individual life beyond the 
grave, scarcely question the belief in immortality, assum- 
ing as we do that immortality is a fact, but one which 
is impossible of demonstration. Some look with jaun- 
diced eye upon the phenomena of Spiritualism because 
in the recesses of their minds there is an aversion to 
anything that savors of prying into these mysteries, this 
prying seeming to imply questioning and appearing- to 
mean a want of reverence for that which should be 
sacred. Those men, having these beliefs with regard to 
immortality are none the less very skeptical regarding 
the fact of the return of spirits of the departed to the 
earth by materialization, through the instrumentality of 

119 



"a medium." We resent the idea as unpleasant and 
refuse to consider it. 

Rapid strides have been made during the past twenty 
years to my certain knowledge in the direction of com- 
municating with those in spirit life. The spirits seem 
to me are more anxious to communicate with the peo- 
ple on earth than the people on earth are to communi- 
cate with them. Thousands, yes millions of the inhabi- 
tants of this world are sitting for development that 
they may be able to communicate with the dear ones 
who have passed over. Every person en earth has the 
mediumistic qualities within them to a higher or lower 
degree. Some are born mediums 



120 



CHAPTER XIX. 

My First Sitting With Jim Twenty Years Ago When I was an 
Investigator — Great Results — Mrs. Riley Passes to the Other 
Life — Communicates With Martha — Jim Travels — Marries 
Again — Her Mediumistic Powers — Poem Dedicated to Daisy 
— Poem to Jim From His Mother in Spirit Life. 

Twenty years ago, when I was investigating the sub- 
ject of Spiritualism, was traveling then as I am now, 
I was at Reading, Michigan, one day and was waiting 
for my train and happened to pick up the Detroit Free 
Press and read an account of a seance given by Farmer 
Riley near Marcellus, Michigan. I decided when the 
opportunity presented itself I would go and see what 
I could learn through him. Two weeks later I was at 
Vicksburg, Michigan, only sixteen miles from Marcellus ; 
I got aboard a freight train going to Marcellus and in the 
caboose were two traveling men. I engaged in conversa- 
tion with them and informed them I was going to Mar- 
cellus to see the wonderful medium, Farmer Riley ; they 
said they would like to join me. I replied that I cer- 
tainly would be pleased to have them go with me. One 
of them named Edward Forsyth who traveled for Park- 
Davis and Co., of Detroit, remarked that he had buried 
his grandfather at Toronto the Saturday before, and 
asked me if I thought he would see him. I replied that 

121 



I did not know as I had never been at. Mr. Riley's sit- 
ting. 

We arrived at Marcellus in due time, hired a team and 
drove out to Riley's, three and one-half miles, asked per- 
mission to be present at the sitting that evening, and were 
given it by Jim. The third form that appeared at the cur- 
tain was an old man; Mr. Forsyth jumped up excitedly 
and said, 'That's my grandfather, and if you will come to 
my house in Kalamazoo, I will show you his photo- 
graph." Presently the slate was handed out, and it 
bore a message to "Edward" and was signed by his 
grandfather. We had given no names. The next form 
was for me. He came out of the cabinet with hand ex- 
tended; I jumped up and met him half way and took 
hold of his hand. I knew him the moment he appeared. 
I said, "Bless my life, it's LeRoy." He bowed and de- 
materialized before my eyes. LeRoy Scranton was his 
name, and I taught him telegraphy twenty years pre- 
vious in Illinois, and secured him a position. He 
thought a great deal of me; he had passed over ten 
years previous at Peoria, Illinois, where he had been 
employed in the train despatcher's office. He looked as 
natural as life, even wearing a Prince Albert coat, as 
was his wont. 

One year later I got off the train at Three Rivers, 
Michigan, and whom should I meet, but Edward For- 
syth. I shook hands with him, asking what he thought 
of Spiritualism by this time. (I had made no decision 
as yet, so great a skeptic was I.) He replied, "I am 
stronger in the faith than ever." I asked him why. He 
replied, "You remember when you and I were at Riley's 

122 



a year ago? I wrote to my father in Port Huron, tell- 
ing him what I had seen at Riley's. He wrote to my 
sister in Kalamazoo wanting to know if I was not crazy, 
as I had just got off a bed of sickness. My sister 
wrote my father that I was perfectly sane." 

"Three weeks ago my sister Edith went to Toronto to 
visit friends there. One evening about five o'clock, my 
father had been milking the cows and had started to 
the house with the pails of milk in his hands. He saw 
Edith on the porch and she turned and went into the 
house. When he entered the house he remarked to my 
mother, 'Edith is home.' My mother replied that she 
was not. Then father said, 'Why, I saw her on the 
porch and she turned and went into the house.' Mother 
replied, 'Well, she is not here.' Father imagined that 
there was something wrong in Toronto and said, 'We 
will go to Toronto to-night. Get ready.' But before 
they left the house, they received a telegram from the 
friends in Toronto informing them that Edith had sud- 
denly died of diphtheria at five o'clock that evening." 
(Naturally when Edith left the body she went home 
and, fortunately, Mr. Forsyth saw clairvoyantly.)) 
"They buried Edith. Then my father thought of what 
I had seen at Riley's a year previous. He went to Mar- 
cellus ; he saw Edith, his father and his sister ; he talked 
to his father and sister and came home a Spiritualist." 
Seeing is believing when a person can get such positive 
evidence as that. 

In all the sittings I have had with Jim in the past 
twenty years, LeRoy Scranton has not materialized 
again. 

123 



Mrs. Riley passed to spirit life April 19th, 1903. She 
had been a faithful companion to Jim and all those 
years took the best of care of him, never wearying as 
night after night they would be up late into the morn- 
ing at the sittings. She always had a cup of tea and a 
lunch for Jim when he came out of the cabinet. Jim 
felt her loss deeply. When Mr. Fred King, the under- 
taker, had completed the necessary arrangement of the 
body for burial, Mr. Riley felt that he would like to 
hear from "Martha" (Mrs. Riley). Mr. King and 
Mr. Riley went into the room where Mrs. Riley's body 
lay, taking with them two slates. They placed them 
on a stand and put their hands on them. The writing 
came between the slates. She said she was happy and 
j*i«*£.ed at the arrangements made for her funeral. She 
placed her hands on Jim's and Mr. King's heads. Mr. 
King said he heard a noise like some one walking about 
the room and a sound as of the rustling of a dress and 
a beautiful spirit light appeared. 

Mr. Riley left the place in charge of his son Bert 
who was married. His two daughters, Irma and Min- 
nie, who were still single, lived with Bert and Mr. Riley 
commenced traveling and giving sittings in different 
parts of the United States. But there was no place like 
heme for Jim and on March 25th, 1905, he married 
Clara Rozilla March in Detroit, Michigan, and settled 
down home again. The second Mrs. Riley is quite a 
medium and is controlled by an Indian girl named 
Daisy. At Jim's dark circles she is always on hand 
and plays many pranks, such as decorating the heads 
of the sitters with feathers and exchanging the combs 

124 



of the ladies, playing the tambourine and guitar and 
patting the cheeks of the sitters. Beautiful spirit lights 
are produced at these sittings and are very entertain- 
ing. 

Jim has a pony called Billy and many times when he 
is down in the pasture and they want him Daisy will 
say to Mrs. Riley, "I will bring Billy and will have him 
here in five minutes." And sure enough Billy comes to 
the house within the time specified. Many instances 
have been recorded of a horse stopping in the middle of 
the road when spirits have presented themselves. All 
animals can see clairvoyantly. 

The following is a poem written by Pearl Gates, of 
Kalamazoo, to "Daisy" : 

Daisy. 

One day we started a visit to make, 
And to reach the place the train we must take. 
When we arrived at a small country town, 
It was near the hour that the sun goes down. 

We secured a team of the highest grade, 
And were soon on our way over hill and glade. 
We viewed the scene with perfect delight, 
For it was indeed a beautiful sight. 

We traveled four miles from the little town 
To the home of one of world-wide renown. 
A modest home, but adorned with gems 
Richer by far than the king's diadems. 

125 



These jewels are precious, useful and rare, 
Named Farmer Riley and his good wife, Clare. 
Another brightness that there will be found, 
Is dear little Daisy with cheeks plump and round. 

Daisy is sweet as the flower of her name, 

Will always be found in manner the same, 

To please everyone is her chief delight, 

And e'en in the darkness can make a bright light. 

With her small hands many things she can do, 
That a wise magician cannot see through. 
We think dear Daisy a marvel indeed, 
And to her advice will gladly heed. 

If she should suggest a wise plan for me 
I should follow closely her full decree, 
Feeling that she with her beauty and charm, 
Would ne'er come in contact with thoughts that would 
harm. 

I am truly glad that we ever met, 
Her sweet, winning ways I shall not forget, 
And I hope some day to meet her again, 
For I love her now and shall love her again. 



The following is a poem from Mr. Riley's mother 
through the mediumship of Mrs. L. H. Palmer, Hills- 
dale, Michigan : 

126 



For Mr. James Riley. 

"My son, my boy, as the years roll on, 

And I see the good that you have done 

In giving your forces that others may know 

Of the life to come where the soul may grow 

In beauty and grace and loveliness too, 

And each one know if the other is true." 

"How strange the life you are living below, 

So mixed with Hell and Heaven, I know, 

Oh, I fain would scatter your path with flowers, 

Taking out the weeks, leaving golden hours, 

Hours of peace and love combined, 

And rest for the soul and rest for the mind." 

"But the rest and peace of souls that are true, 

To the noble work God gives them to do, 

Will come at last, and your soul set free, 

Will rise to the bliss of eternity." 

"God speed the time when my boy shall come, 

And I can bid him 'Wlelcome home.' 

To a home of love so pure and true, 

And angels are waiting to welcome you." 

"To thank you, my child, for helping them, 

Though you receive the scorn of men. 

The time will come, too soon, I fear, 

When listening ears the trump shall hear." 

"Oh, happy thought, a life well spent, 

A soul returns, 'tis only lent. 

Returns to its home with work well done, 

To hear a voice say, 'Welcome home.' " 



127 



CHAPTER XX. 

An Ancient Control— Interpretation of the Writing by Cora L. 
V Richmond's Control, and by Mrs. Isa Wilson Kaynor. 

Mrs. Riley has another phase, that of automatic writ- 
ing. She is controlled by an ancient named Rajah 
Rameses. He is writing ancient history of his country 
and religion; is a scribe and an artist. The writing is 
similar to shorthand, very neat and regular. Mrs. Riley 
sent the first portion of the writing to Mrs. Cora Rich- 
mond to have her control, who is an ancient, interpret it. 

Interpretation of Rajah's Writing. 
By Cora L. V. Richmond's Control. 

"In the ages that are agone, I dwelt in the cave palace 
by the sea. I was of the race that lived across from 
the deeps of the waters. I was one of the souls that 
raised from the sea of the day, calling unto our Ra for 
my guidance; one of the many who pass here, and ever 
repass, coming out of the nightly light and entering the 
shadows. It means that now the former things are re- 
stored, ancient light and new light meet and mingle 
and are one. Would that I could make you, little 
daughter, fleet of foot with wings for strength to bear 
you up and ever upward. Or, if I might give you a 

128 



vision of the light that giveth power, but yours is power 
of spirit working in silent chambers reaching many in 
the ways that nature's role has given, and because thou 
art a lowly spirit in thy earth dwelling, thou hast treas- 
ures like those shining gems I gathered from the waters. 
Thy jewels are of spirit and thou givest them the sit- 
ting of sweet, pure thoughts, so I come, my little one, to 
thee. If the lotus were abloom I'd give thee of its 
power. But the blossom of the kingdom is thy own 
life and labor. One day I will weave for thee a story, 
sweet and tender, of my palace by the sea caves, and 
how I came there. How I watched the god of day aris- 
ing from the waters, who my people were and how I 
loved and suffered. An ancient, wondrous story, full 
of sorrows and of beauty. Sometime I will give it thee 
and make a thrilling story. Wait a while, dear heart, 
and then I will come to thee perhaps, in the strange 
guise for another to interpret." 

"I will weave a magic story of my life in your dark 
earth land, dark to me now in this home of living light 
and spirit. And you will find much good to you, my 
little maiden, and to your people, when I come to tell 
my story. Some time will pass — some splendors and 
more cycles before I take your hand to tell you this, 
my story. But do not disregard these symbols, quaint, 
and olden, nor the faces that gleam out like the spirit 
through the body. I am one of those who wore the 
body as a garment, to cast it off when the lessons had 
been given. I am. sent unto you with a word of sun- 
shine and shadows to draw your spirit to a sphere of 
more usefulness to others. Since I know your heart 

129 



goes out to give whatever is given, I will pause and 
come again and tell my story further." 

Here is another interpretation by Mrs. Isa Wilson 
Kaynor, Chicago, 111. : 

"I, Rajah, scribe to Rameses, and keeper of the keys, 
have found in this medium, whom I have watched over 
from birth that I can use to give unto the world the his- 
tory of my people and country and religious forms. We 
wish also the power to free her from trials of life for 
she is faithful to her work and has been tried and puri- 
fied by discipline of life and have ever striven to help 
her. We are five of the band for drawing the scenes 
of my country. So our medium, you of the lily race, or 
willing hand, go on, be not afraid, for in you we live on 
earth again, and through you will bring to light a por- 
tion of the history of the lost continent and city Raso- 
digne (city of the Sun). Send out thy soul thought 
for the light and we will always respond. The dark 
days of this life are finished with thee, and all is well." 

(Signed) Rajah. 

Mrs. Kaynor says, "The Egyptian spirits who are 
with you are trying or rather giving through you some 
of the interim of their temples, also of the lectures at 
the time they lived, all being done on stone five hundred 
years before Christ. You have grand workers, all be- 
ing of the temple of Liberia, museum of ancient workers. 
The picture you enclosed is only one small part of a 
whole; it is a portion of an Albto Rabincis, and your 
quiet Rajah is an artist as well as a scribe, and you 
ought to get a book and let them write a little, not too 

130 



much, every day, as by the charts, I see they wish to 
give a history of their country, times, and religion, and 
if one piece is lost, it is hard to duplicate." 

Mrs. Isa Wilson Kaynor, 
8736 Wood St., Chicago, 111. 

Mrs. Riley's hand is controlled and automatically 
writes, as heretofore, writing similar to shorthand. There 
are one hundred and sixteen sheets of this writing, the 
size of foolscap paper, and quite a number of drawings 
which look quite ancient. 



131 



CHAPTER XXI. 

A Very Interesting Seance — Remarkable Tests Given to Mr. 
Colvin — His Experience — Message From His Mother-in-Law 
and Wife — Message From Doctor Powell. 

At a sitting given August 10th, 1909, Jim entered the 
cabinet and asked Mr. Sill, a resident of Marcellus, to 
come and hold his hand a moment. Mr. Sill is of a nerv- 
ous temperament and dislikes being close to those who 
materialize. He asked the writer to drop the curtain 
and arrange the folds so as to exclude all light; Mr. 
Sill knows that before he gets away from arranging 
the curtain, a form will be instantly close to him, and 
this his nerves won't stand. (This alone should satisfy 
the worst skeptics that Jim could not in five seconds 
fix himself up to look like someone else besides himself.) 
Mr. Sill took Jim's hand for one minute, I dropped 
the curtain, arranged the folds at the bottom of the 
curtains, which consumed time not to exceed five 
seconds, and when I arose there stood a fine looking 
old gentleman. I was between the sitters and the form. 

The old gentleman put his hand on my head, as much 
as to say, "Step aside so they can see me," which I did. 
Mr. Colvin of Buffalo says, "That is my uncle." The 
uncle acknowledged it, the light was turned up stronger 

132 



than usual. Within two minutes another form appeared 
and Mr. and Mrs. Sill spoke to him, as they knew him 
well. Will Webster was his name. He bowed to them. 
(On August 4th, 1909, Mrs. Webster was sitting at Jim's 
with Mr. and Mrs. Sill. Will Webster materialized 
that evening.) Within three minutes another form ap- 
peared, a very large man who came out of the cabinet 
and gave the Masonic signs. The writer, Mr. Colvin, 
and Mr. Sill, being Masons, of course understood the 
signs. He appeared for Mr. Colvin, but he, (Mr. Col- 
vin) could not at, that time think who he was. He was 
very much excited, for he had never witnessed any- 
thing of the kind before. 

It is remarkable how quick and strong they material- 
ize, when we stop to think how many years Jim has been 
giving sittings, and considering Jim's age; but he is as 
active and lively as I knew him to be twenty years ago. 
Mr. Benton brought Jim out of the influence, and after 
a rest of ten minutes, he re-entered the cabinet and we 
had a slate writing. A slate was handed out which 
contained a message for Mr. Colvin from his mother- 
in-law. It read, "Dear Fred, help me to come." There 
was some scribbling, not intelligible. We supposed she 
lost the power to write any more. This same slate was 
put back into the cabinet, her writing being left on the 
slate. After five minutes, this same slate was handed 
out and it contained a message from Mr. Colvin's wife. 
As there was not room enough on the slate for her to 
write her message, she had erased the writing which 
was left on, and wrote, "I erased mother's writing so 
as to have room. Oh, dear Fred, how happy this makes 

133 



me to be able to come and tell you I am not dead but 
live in a beautiful world of love. I am also glad you 
have taken a companion to journey through your earth 
life. I will be with you and help you, for you have met 
many disappointments." 

Minnie. 

Words could not express Mr. Colvin's joy at being 
able to communicate with his wife who had passed over. 
What a consolation to know that she lives ! Mr. Colvin 
took the slate home with him. He emphatically stated 
that it was his wife's handwriting, and he certainly ought 
to know. Several other forms materialized and then 
this message was written on the slate for the writer. 
"Mr. Benton and Dr. Powell do not want the medium 
to give any more public sittings, in order to give the 
medium strength to give some home sittings, for we 
are going to get some important messages for the book 
we are now writing." Another message on the slate 
for the writer, read as follows : "Brother, we are pleased 
with our work so far; we want you to arrange so you 
and the medium can be alone. Please have the message 
the lady gave (the one to Mr. Colvin) in the book, for 
we exerted much force for her. Now brother, we will 
bid you good night." Dr. Powell. 



134 



CHAPTER XXII. 

The Writer's Visit With Jim, May 1st, 1909— The Sitting That 
Evening — How the Book Came to be Written — Message from 
Mr. Benton— My First Introduction to Dr. Powell— His 
Message — Gasoline Traction Engine Built Under the Direc- 
tion of a Spirit. 

On May 1st, 1909, my business was at Vicksburg, 
Schoolcraft, and Marcellus. The day was stormy; it 
snowed and Mowed during the day, and was cold, was, 
in fact, a blizzard. I reached Marcellus 6 :30 P. M., and 
had the liveryman drive me out to Jim's, having first 
telephoned him I was on the way. The year previous 
I had visited Jim and found him confined to his bed 
with rheumatism, but, thanks to the spirit doctor, he 
was cured of that ill. An account of it was given in 
a previous chapter. We started for Jim's house. The 
wind was in our faces and it was strong and snowing 
hard. The snow was basked up on my lap and I was 
almost frozen when I reached Jim's house where I re- 
ceived the glad hand of genial Jim and was soon thawed 
out. We talked until 1:00 A. M. Sunday, and then 
retired to the little bedroom which is used by Jim as 
the cabinet. Jim won't sleep there, for he says they 
annoy and keep him awake; but they did not disturb 
the writer and my sleep was peaceful. 

135 



During the day I remarked to Jim that I had known 
him so long (twenty years) so favorably, that he had 
been a fine instrument in giving this beautiful philoso- 
phy to the people, thousands having witnessed it, and 
that he was so favorably known over the United States 
and foreign countries, and that there were millions who 
would like an authentic account, of his life; so I be- 
lieved I ought to write it and enlighten those who were 
unable to come and see him. He replied, "Vlerebome, 
I wish you would. Nothing would please me better." 
I had not thought of doing this; it was farthest from 
my thoughts. Possibly Mr. Benton and Dr. Powell im- 
pressed me to do this, who knows? I think so at any 
rate. 

That evening, May 2d, Jim went into the cabinet. 
Those present were Mrs. Riley, her mother, and the 
writer. Jim says, "Vlerebome, take hold of my hand," 
which I did. He held it a moment. I dropped the cur- 
tain, arranged the folds at the bottom, arose, and 
started to my chair, when the curtain parted and there 
stood my friend, W. S. Strong, of whom I spoke in a 
previous chapter, when George Washington appeared. 
I spoke to him. "Why, how do you do, Strong?" He 
bowed. Within two minutes my brother George ap- 
peared and was apparently pleased that he could come to 
me. That brother was very dear :o me; we had been 
in business together and many times we had come to 
each other's help, fightmgr the battles of life. He bowed 
and sank to the floor and in a very few minutes a form 
appeared, a medium-sized man with a large beard. I 
asked if it was fcr me. He nodded, "Yes." "Is it a 

136 




to 



c 
'So 

c 



relative ?" I asked. He shook his head. "Is it a friend ?" 
He nodded "Yes." He was sinking to the floor. I 
said, "Please write on the slate who you are." 

Another form appeared which was recognized by Mrs. 
Riley and her mother. Jim coughed which is always 
the sign to raise the curtains. He came out, and in fif- 
teen minutes he re-entered the cabinet. After singing 
perhaps ten minutes, I heard the scratching of the pencil 
on the slate and shortly we were notified in the usual 
way to raise the curtains and Jim came out of the cabi- 
net. I examined the slate and received a message from 
Mr. Benton which read as follows : "Mr. V. we are 
glad to have you with us again." John Benton. 

The following message was received from Dr. Powell : 
"Now, my dear sir; I am more than pleased to be your 
assistant in your future work. I was a surgeon in an 
American regiment during the Civil War. We will give 
you something fine for the book while you are hers in 
a r next, for that is the date fixed by us for the 
. encement of the manuscript" Dr. Powell. 

I will add here that I wrote Jim in June ths ■ the 
seventh of August would suit me better on account :: 

less, and to ask Mr. Benton and Dr. Powe 
that would suit them, and they replied August 
suit them just as well. 

While I was at Jim's home May 2nd, he told me about 
a gasoline traction engine built under the direction of 
Eli Whitney from the spirit side cf life, that would 
purl three and one-half times its own weight, would 
turn fourteen furrows, and plow two hundred or more 
-acres a day. I remarked, "Why, Jim, I saw that written 

137 



up in some paper a few months ago, of how they took it 
to a field near Hamilton, Ohio, and it plowed at the rate 
of two hundred acres per day." 

Two years ago Fred A. Gerling of Portland, Oregon, 
came to Jim's home with his wife and informed him that 
a spirit had told him how to build a gasoline traction 
engine that would pull three and one-half times its own 
weight and plow two hundred acres of ground. The 
spirit, Eli Whitney, inventor of the Whitney Rifle and 
Cotton Gin, had told him to go to Mr. Riley, of Mar- 
cellus, Michigan, and through him receive further in- 
structions. Mr. Gerling and wife stayed at Jim's for 
two weeks and many sitting's were had. Mr. Whitney 
wrote on the slate how to construct this engine in all its 
details. He went to Connersville, Indiana, to carry out 
the instructions of Eli Whitney; viz., to form a stock 
company, build an engine, and get it patented. When he 
told the capitalists where he got his information how to 
build the engine, they laughed at him, but his ideas 
seemed plausible, and they took stock which was sold 
in different cities. 

An engine was built at Connersville; it was taken to 
Hamilton, Ohio; it did everything Mr. Whitney said it 
would do. The capital stock was increased, a plant was 
built at Forth W r orth, Texas, and Mr. Gerling has writ- 
ten Jim that they have a lot of orders, some from China, 
to pull trains on the highway. Mr. Gerling has a device 
about completed whereby he can hear and talk with the 
spirits without the aid of a medium. 

While at Jim's house I wrote Mr. Gerling at Fort 
Worth, Texas, asking him how he was succeeding in 

138 




F. E. GERLING 



perfecting the instrument whereby anyone could com- 
municate with the spirits without the aid of a medium. 
I have just received a reply from his wife as follows: 

Woodstock, Ore., Oct. 4, 1909. 
"Mr. A. Vlerebome, Cleveland, Ohio, 
Dear Sir: 

My husband sent your letter to me some time ago and 
requested me to write you concerning the same, that 
it was impossible for him to write in detail as he was so 
busy. (Mr. Gerling is president and manager of the 
company which is called Multnomah Mechanical Manu- 
facturing Co., Fort Worth, Texas.) In regard to the 
device by which the mortal man may communicate with 
the spirit, Mr. Eli Whitney, Mr. Gerling's main con- 
trol, has told him that he, Mr. Whitney, will impress 
him how to build a spirit telephone. 

Mr. Gerling wishes me to say that he has seen 
mediumship in all its phases, and that Mr. Riley's 
mediumship is the most complete and beautiful with 
which he has ever come in contact,. 

Mrs. F. A. Gerling." 

We are often asked by non-believers : "What good does 
Spiritualism do?" Here is an instance where a device 
is given to the world which is of incalculable value. 
In 1882 wireless telegraphy was predicted by the spirits. 
A full account of it will be given you in a later chapter. 
I have known of many instances where men who were 
drunkards went to sittings, their spirit relatives came to 
them and pleaded with them to stop it, and they took 
their advice and made men of themselves. 



139 



Here is a case where through Jim's mediumship a man 
who was on the downward path, was reclaimed by his 
sister. When a man says Spiritualism does not do any 
good, he simply shows his ignorance. A prominent, 
druggist in the southern part of Michigan, having a 
nice business, got to drinking and neglecting his business. 
He would leave his business and go off on a protracted 
spree. He was on one of those sprees with a companion, 
and happened to pick up a Grand Rapids paper giving an 
account of a sitting at Farmer Riley's home. He be- 
came interested and said to his comanion, "Let's go and 
see this man." And they went. They, of course, came 
to Jim, perfect strangers, and took their seats with the 
rest of the sitters. The slate was handed out to him ; 
he went, out to the sitting-room to read the mes- 
sage. He stayed so long, Jim's wife went out to see 
what detained him. He was crying and said, "My God, 
is this true?" He had received a message from his 
sister who was in spirit life; she had admonished him. 
for his drinking and neglecting his business, and showed 
him what his condition would be in spirit life when he 
came there. He turned to Jim's wife and handed her a 
quart bottle of liquor and said, with his sister's help, 
he never would drink another drop of liquor while he 
lived. And he never has to this day. This happened 
several years ago. He wrote Jim a beautiful letter call- 
ing Jim his Saviour. Jim cannot find the letter, and 
I am sorry that I cannot reproduce it. 



HO 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

A Tribute to Riley's Mediumship— Clippings From a Monroe, 
Mich., Paper — Also One From the Ft. Angeles, Wash., 
Paper. 

"To the Editor : — Enclosed find postal note for the re- 
newal of my subscription to the best, boldest, and most 
independent Spiritualist paper that I have ever read. 
I want to also add my testimony to the merits of one of 
the truest and best mediums I know, Mr. James Riley. 
His manifestations are really grand, convincing, and in 
every way satisfactory. I have been personally ac- 
quainted with him for several years, and I believe him 
to be in every respect honest, and conscientious. So sen- 
sitive is he to doubts and suspicions of strangers and 
visitants, that he invites the most rigid tests. Very rarely 
is a seance closed without the materialization of one 
or more friends of the sitters, from the tiny infant to 
those of old age, who often walk out, shake hands and 
converse with them." 

"With such proofs of immortal life all over the coun- 
try, it appears to me that Agnostics and Materialists 
ought to be converted. Mr. Riley is doing a good work, 
and Spiritualists ought to rally around him, and give 
him such financial support as to relieve him of the bur- 

141 



den and care of furnishing bread and butter for his 
family. His service in the War of the Rebellion, and hard 
labor since, has rendered him nearly a physical wreck, 
and if he is to be employed by the spirit- world many 
years more as a bridge to this world, his physical body 
must be cared for. Let us all remember that the laborer 
is worthy of his hire." 

Dr. A. J. Kinney, Decatur, Michigan. 

Taken from a Monroe, Michigan, paper. 

"James Riley and his wife, materializing mediums of 
Marcellus, Mich., were in Monroe several days during 
the past week. They held quite a number of seances 
with local Spiritualists and have created great interest. 
Mr. Riley is known as "Farmer Riley" and is recog- 
nized by Spiritualists as the greatest materializing me- 
dium in the country. Those interested, consider them- 
selves very fortunate in getting them here. The seances 
increased in attendance each night, nor were the visitors 
composed entirely of believers. There were many 
"Doubting Thomases" who were attracted by the fame 
of the medium and attended the seance. The subject 
of Spiritualism has been widely discussed in our city this 
week as a result of Riley's visit. All sorts of opinions 
believers point to Riley's materializations as positive 
are advanced. There are those who would brush the 
whole subject aside with the cry of "humbug." The 
believers point to Riley's materializations as positive 
proof of the truth of their doctrines. Between the ex- 
tremes are many shades of belief, from the occultist who 
sees in the materializations the recall of base instincts 

142 



of the departed, to the large class who, while not con- 
demning Spiritualism in toto, refuse to accept as suffi- 
cient the evidence presented." 

Twenty years ago the secular papers would rarely 
give an account of sittings or meetings of the Spiritual- 
ists. It is now a common occurrence. It, shows that 
the masses are beginning to think for themselves, and 
are demanding knowledge on this subject. In April, 
1899, Jim was at Port Angeles, Washington, and gave 
a number of sittings there. This article appeared in 
one of their papers, April 29, 1899. 

A Sermon with a Spiritual Test. Spirit is the Builder 
Of Nature. 
Farmer Riley's Materializations. 

"His power comes from One who says, 'I am the Life 
and Resurrection.' 'Blessed are ye when men shall 
revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner 
of evil against you falsely for My sake.' " 

"The spirit of man is as much finer than atmosphere, 
as atmosphere is finer than water, and when materi- 
alized by the energy of the vital forces concentrated by 
the will of persons being in harmony with each other. 
It is then its communication is established between the 
mundane and celestial world; you become en rapport 
with your spiritual affinities, and they respond to your 
wishes, that is, if the conditions are right ; but there must 
be on your part an honest desire to obtain that power. 
It may take you a year or less. You are not to get 
it as easily as you think you will. In the first place, it 

143 



will require much patience to learn how to concentrate 
the will to silence thought so as to become passive and 
indifferent to the outside world, and then the trance 
state may be obtained and the spirits take control." 

"The first appearance of materialization is a light 
vapor gathered by the spirits who have control of the 
medium. In the twinkling of an eye this light vapor is 
formed into a person that has been dead more or less 
than a year, and appears before you to prove a here- 
after, and stays long enough for you to see that there 
is no fraud about it. Sometimes they will pass a slate, 
or take up a flower from the table, but they soon dis- 
solve again to their spiritual sphere." 

"Now then, for a minister in talking about this Gos- 
pel and saying that it is all nonsense and a delusion, 
and the fakers of India could do the same things, admit- 
ting they can, they have obtained the gift the same as 
Mr. Riley did. Now then, you hear that those mediums 
are far superior to our American mediums. They ma- 
terialize trees, flowers, ropes, but manage to finish just 
in the right time before their materializations melt away. 
Instead of the churches being against them, the church 
should stand up for them because it only confirms the 
truth of the materialization of Jesus and his material- 
izing Moses and Elias on the Mount. I would like to 
know what the churches are here for, whether they are 
for the evolution of spiritual things, or just for a place 
of pride and fashion. Every minister's mission should 
be to make known the Spiritual World. The people 
are tired of words that need proving. It is no use talk- 
ing, brethren and sisters of the church. There are 

144 



many that do not believe in Jesus and his miracles, and 
those that do believe, think it strange that a man in our 
city can show to the people those that they know to 
be dead." 

"The doubting Thomases are numerous, and the min- 
isters are alarmed at the second coming of Christ. 'I 
am the Life and the Resurrection.' 'Blessed are ye 
when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall 
say all manner of evil against you for my sake.' The 
truth that 'I am the life of every man's spirit,' and 'I 
am the power that the people are ignorant of today; 
without me the spirit can do nothing. I am the mighty 
force that moves the world.' 'Blessed are those who 
believe and hath not yet seen/ 'Behold I come with tens 
of thousands of my saints to put down the rest of the 
enemies of truth and righteousness ; all of these shall 
be brought to the knowledge and love of their fellow- 
men/ which is the love of Jesus, meaning he shall savt 
his people." 

"Spiritualism is right; some claim they can duplicate 
it. In the first place, they can't melt a materialized 
form into nothingness in a few seconds or bring out of 
the cabinet a dozen materialized forms. I do not be- 
lieve it will go well with these who perpetrate frauds 
on the people. They are kindling a consuming fire in 
their own souls. Let them be sure that they are right, 
and then go ahead." 

George S. King. 

On Materialization and the Wishes of Individuals. 
We have heard certain ones make this remark, that 

145 



"If Mr. Riley will materialize my father or any one that 
has passed over to the other side I will give one 
hundred dollars." Now then, be it understood that he, 
Mr. Riley, is not at liberty to do what they require, be- 
cause he is under the control of the spiritualistic world 
and they of the spiritual world, not he, materialize whom 
they see fit; that is, if the conditions are right and fav- 
orable for them to appear, they will make themselves 
manifest, but no blame must be attached to the medium 
for he is helpless to perform it. So therefore, the people 
do misunderstand the phenomena. They must accept 
the truth as it is shown to them, whether relatives or 
strangers. 

There are several who have seen their fathers, Mr. 
Z., Mr. K., and Mr. W., and they are reliable men to 
be depended upon. These formalities are required to 
get harmony, and then comes the vibrating of this 
mysterious power, bringing into existence the material- 
ization which can be done in anyone's house. "Yes," 
some will say, "what is this mysterious power?" It is 
the same as the Master that giveth life to all nature, 
and this power is the energy of force which is none other 
than Christ, himself, showing His power to bring all 
men unto Him. The same magnetism that comes from 
a minister of the Gospel when his soul is wrapt up in 
divine prayer, goes to the hearts of the people who are 
to be converted. "The Lord works in a mysterious 
way, his wonders to perform." Therefore why should 
we mortals be proud and selfish ? "Doubt not." Behold, 
it is written, "Greater things than these thou shalt see." 



146 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

How to be En Rapport With the Spiritual World, by G. S. K. — 
A Pleasant Account of a Visit to Farmer Riley From the 
"Progressive Thinker" — Another Letter From Minnesota 
From the Same Paper. 

The mind must concentrate on all conceptive thoughts 
emanating from that source, and devote two hours each 
day before any desired results will take place. Tt comes 
in this wise by listening to thought and perfecting it 
by the use of the will power and giving it. energy to vi- 
brate into existence; everybody has to do this in order 
to carry out any project or problem. It took Elias Howe 
twenty years to perfect the sewing machine, but it took 
Brother Riley, according to his own statement, two 
years before he got the long desired results; now, the 
mode of operation is the same now as at first, as you 
see it at his manifestations, yet there are a great many 
doubting Thomases thinking there must be some humbug 
about it. It requires formalities to carry out the law of 
his manifestations. Why don't some of your wiseacres 
study the forces? How can you accomplish anything 
without study or labor? You are not willing to get 
anything without your heart and soul is en rapport with 
the ideal of your affections. Can you learn mechanics 
without the use of the tools? And there is this in it 

147 



too; the talent must be there and the desire to perfect 
it. It is not everyone that is adapted for all purposes; 
some are for one thing, and some for another. There 
are some that could not tell "Yankee Doodle" from 
"Old Zip Coon." The talent or spirit of music is not 
in the individual, yet they may desire it. Some can see 
spirits, while others are not able to see them. Spirit 
is just as much finer than the atmosphere, as atmosphere 
is finer than transparent glass when not materialized; 
but the life of the spirit, its soul, is as much finer than 
spirit, as spirit is finer than the atmosphere, and this 
power is the word or logos, the first born of the great 
cause of all that exists, and the power that moves all 
worlds. 

In it we move and have our being, and this is the 
force given to the spirits, and that people are trying 
to find out. It is the origin of all thought and laws and 
the prime mover of the will, force and energy of man. 
And no man can compound it or comprehend it. The 
four elements and their subordinates are the evolutions 
from this mighty power ; or else how could it material- 
ize? What is this life to all eternity? A few days and 
full of evil. There is one stumbling block that retards 
Spiritualism, and that is the almighty dollar. It seems 
that all of the people have gone astray after worldly 
riches instead of heavenly. They do not entertain the 
good and the beautiful, but rather the evil, and hence 
their mistrust. 



148 



J. D. SanforcTs visit with Jim, published in the "Progres- 
sive Thinker." Seances that were highly satisfac- 
tory and convincing. 

"Having recently spent two weeks at the pleasant 
home of 'Farmer Riley/ as he is familiarly called, I 
desire to express through your columns something of 
the gratitude I feel to the angel-world, not only, but 
also to those who have in the relation of their blessed 
experiences so often cheered my heart when I felt that 
hungry longing which only those can know who real- 
ize the inestimable worth of every faithful assurance 
of Immortality. Such assurance I there received. The 
first week of my stay we had no seances, as Mr. Riley 
was absent, but with unbounded hospitality I was enter- 
tained by his estimable wife, whose sacrifices for the 
cause of truth can never be overestimated, and the many 
startling facts related to me of the patience and persist- 
ence of their efforts in the earlier experience, and 
demonstrations which came to them have served as much 
as anything I have every known to prove beyond the 
shadow of a doubt that those we have mourned as dead 
are ever ready to make their presence and power known 
to us whenever we make the needed conditions. To 
be where the angels 'were wont to meet' and witness 
for myself their 'coming and going' was a privilege I had 
long coveted." 

"The return of Mr. Riley was greeted by a large num- 
ber of letters, asking for 'dates,' but too numerous for 
all to be gratified. Those who were privileged to come 
were richly paid. Early in the evening, and before the 

149 



materializing seance, a dark circle was held of about 
ten in number, seated around a table on which lay a 
guitar. The instant the lights were extinguished the 
guitar was caught up with a loud twang, and floating 
over our heads near the ceiling, poured out enchanting 
strains while everyone was consciously affected by the 
harmonious influence, as unseen hands were caressingly 
placed upon our heads, faces and shoulders, and every 
token that love could bestow assured us of the presence 
of our spirit friends, while raps were heard, and beauti- 
ful lights were seen; even the 'thin veil between us' 
seemed for the time removed, as later, when the material- 
izing seance began, about twenty forms came out of the 
cabinet, one after another, being recognized by their 
friends, as the room was so light one could almost see 
to read, and every feature and detail of dress could be 
plainly scrutinized." 

"I was made personally happy to recognize my brother 
who had passed to spirit life twenty years ago; also an 
old friend and pioneer of Spiritualism, who had been 
on the 'other side' two years, and who had often as- 
sured me he would improve every opportunity to remind 
his friend that he still lived, which assurance he has 
more than once verified. We were permitted to shake 
hands with some of those who were strong enough, and 
also to receive slate messages not a few." 

"On one occasion an old neighbor whose skepticism 
had long resisted his desire to witness these manifesta- 
tions, unexpectedly entered, but was cordially received, 
and who, when he saw the form of a short but pleasant- 
faced lady at the opening of the curtains, sprang up in 

150 



great excitement, exclaiming, 'My God, that is my 
mother!' at which the spirit seemed to be greatly over- 
come and partly faded from view; but urged to reap- 
pear she soon returned, and so great was the surprise 
and delight of the hitherto unbelieving son, that he 
could hardly be induced to retain his seat. That was as 
convincing as if it had been my own mother who ap- 
peared, and I felt the same, as slate after slate was 
passed out through the curtains bearing messages of 
cheer and love. As was customary, some of the sitters 
had, before placing the slates in the cabinet, written 
questions on them asking direct answers, and as the slates 
were handed out it was found that in many instances the 
answers were written between the lines with the utmost 
precision, and in varied handwriting which no mortal eye 
could see to do in the intense darkness of the cabinet, 
while the answers were satisfying in the extreme — 
clear cut and to the point; names being signed which it 
was impossible for the medium to have known." 

"One gentleman who was present, and was suffering 
great pain, was called to take a seat near the curtain 
opening at which a tall form was beckoning him, who 
proved to be a physician, and proceeded to give the sick 
man a vigorous treatment in plain sight of all present, 
and consuming about ten minutes time, resulting in com- 
plete relief and entire absence of all pain. A large music 
box was then brought out of the cabinet by a spirit who 
placed it in the hands of one of the sitters by whom it 
was soon laid on the table near by, when immediately 
another and taller form strode rapidly out of the aper- 
ture, and though the box weighed more than eighteen 

151 



pounds, instantly lifted it with a slight touch as though 
it had been a featherweight, bearing it quickly into the 
cabinet." 

"On another evening while several forms appeared, 
and walked out into the room, we could hear the voice 
of Mr. Riley's control gently reassuring those who were 
trying to clothe themselves so as to be recognized by 
their friends, bidding them watch the others, and not 
get excited, but to be calm and confident, and I then 
learned that to most of those who try to materialize, 
their first attempt is hindered by the fear that perhaps 
they may not be able to throw off the form they thus 
assume, and scarcely dare to venture, so does it seem 
to them like the change called death ; so little do we 
know of the effort they make to manifest their presence." 

"It would take too much to speak of all the wonderful 
things there witnessed, but I cannot forbear to add, that 
if anyone wants a living feast, and a perfect assurance 
of the reality of a life beyond, let him enjoy a visit to 
this delightful spot where everything bears the seal of 
genuineness, and fraud is out of the question. I am 
myself a born skeptic but I confess I had no use for 
skepticism there. Long may Mr. Riley be spared to give 
these blessed proofs of spirit return." 

J. D. Sanford, Saginaw, Mich. 

Materialization. A Visit from Farmer Riley and its 
Results. 

"The little village of Bermidji, Minnesota, has had a 
visit from one of the most notable mediums in the world, 
Mr. James Riley, of Marcellus, Michigan. To say peo- 

152 



pie of this progressive little hamlet are in a fever of ex- 
citement over the wonderful convincing proofs of spirit 
return is only lightly speaking. One year ago I was pre- 
sumptuous enough to believe I might be able to induce 
this wonderful man to visit us and give us a chance to 
see our darling spirit friends once more in the material 
body; so a correspondence was begun and not until this 
fall did I succeed in getting Brother Riley interested 
in this direction. I even wonder now how we were 
ever so fortunate, as the talent our dear brother has 
developed is certainly wonderful." 

"The long journey of almost a thousand miles was cer- 
tainly the most discouraging feature of it all to one get- 
ting far over in the shade as Brother Riley is, and then 
going among strangers alone and sitting among skeptics 
was another barrier to good results." (Right here the 
author would say that Jim never went on long trips 
away from home to give sittings without consulting his 
control, and always good results followed; in fact, he 
has always obeyed his instructions in everything)." But 
we are certainly convinced that only a man made of the 
material Brother Riley is, would ever have undertaken 
it." 

"The first one of the most convincing tests given by 
the controls in Mr. Riley's seance was the appearance 
of my brother-in-law, Mr. E. J. Achenbach, who passed 
to spirit life one year ago. Every sitter in the room 
had known him for several years and all exclaimed, 
'There is Mr. Achenbach!' The next spirit to come to 
convince the skeptics was Mr. George Carson, a man 
known by everyone in the town and who was called the 

153 



father of the town. His wife, who was a skeptic, recog- 
nized him at once as did everyone in the room. He shook 
hands and every line in the face was perfectly distinct. 
My husband who has been a life-long skeptic has been 
fully convinced. Among the rest who were skeptics 
and were convinced were Mrs. D. Farley, Mrs. M. Spain, 
Mrs. G. Carson, Mr. and Mrs. J. Peterson, Mr. and 
Mrs. Fred Brinkman, and Mr. M. J Lindahl, all of Ber- 
midji." 

"During Mr. Riley's seances over twenty-five forms 
materialized and all were recognized. One of the most 
wonderful features of it all was the excellent slate writ- 
ing. Many beautiful messages were written by the loved 
ones gone to the other life. Very few people in Bermidji 
now doubt Spiritualism, and if Brother Riley were to 
return it would be an easy matter to procure the band 
to meet him at the train. Brother Riley's materializing 
needs no recommendation. He furnishes the proof be- 
yond a doubt. Several of the gentlemen who doubted 
the power of the spirits were invited into the cabinet and 
while sitting quietly in their chairs, were given such a 
gentle toss into the air that before they landed every re- 
maining doubt had taken flight." 

"About fifty people in all visited the seance and all 
are glad to say that they are Spiritualists. Brother Riley 
gave us all a rare treat by preparing a dark room where 
a circle of friends were blessed by loving touches from 
spirit friends ; our combs were removed by the angel 
hands, pansies were carried around the circle and tucked 
in our hair, the tambourine was shaken vigorously over 
our heads, a cup of water full of pansies was carried 

154 



several feet and placed on the table; they then removed 
the pansies and the water was sprinkled in our faces; 
it is all beautiful to explain. May Mr. Riley be permitted 
to remain with us many years to give to the people these 
beautiful truths." 



155 



CHAPTER XXV. 

A Loving Tribute to Jim's Mediumship, Greater Than Lincoln — 
The Character of Familiar Spirits — L. A. Sherman Has Jim 
Come to His Residence at Pt. Huron, Mich., to Give" Sit- 
tings. 

November 29, 1896, Jim received a beautiful portrait 
of Abraham Lincoln on glass from W. H. H. Tucker 
of Streator, Illinois. Jim and his wife spent three or 
four days at Streator, and gave sittings. The testimonial 
is written on the back of the portrait, as follows : 
"My Dear Friend : 

Mr. Riley, I present this picture to you as a token of 
esteem and brotherhood. I believe the picture is the 
likeness of one of the great men in history of time, but 
I beg the liberty to speak or write the truth; although 
Abraham Lincoln was a wonderful man, I know from 
certain knowledge that he was not half as wonderful as 
Farmer Riley; your four days spent at my home will 
ever be kindly remembered with brotherly love. 

I wish with this little token to extend to you and your 
good wife the love and esteem of the good people who 
had the honor and pleasure of meeting you both, and I 
assure you that your wonderful manifestations of spirit 
materialization will never be forgotten by any of us. We 
now know positively that we do live after that change 

156 



called death. Our spirit friends seem to say, 'Heaven 
bless you for coming to us,' and they love you for your 
unselfishness as much as we do." 

Ever your friend, 

W. H. H. Tucker." 

Those who enter upon the investigation of spirit 
phenomena with an honest desire to> develop and learn 
the truth must divest themselves of many preconceived 
ideas. If the existence of the soul as the ego of man, 
independently of the body and the continuity of life, 
are realities, then the soul passes into the excarnate life 
with just the knowledge and characteristics possessed by 
it when it leaves the incarnate life. A child here, is a 
child in the spirit life when it passes over, with all its 
love of play and pranks. An honest man on this side 
of life, has only honest desires upon the other side, while 
a wicked man finds himself in the darkness and despair 
which sin deserves. 

Faith in the continuity of life while still incarnate, 
helps the excarnate soul to understand the new life and 
to make advancement in it. Love, Charity, Honesty, 
and other virtues, exercised while in the flesh, make 
a place for the soul among the higher order of spirits 
when the silver-lighted river is crossed, with prompt 
realization of spiritual happiness. Those who imagine 
that death of the physical body means a long sleep for 
the soul, or that life on the other side is occupied with 
eternal psalm singing, must divest themselves of such 
notions or they will be greatly shocked when the reality 
is made known to them. 



157 



Spirits who become the controls or "familiar spirits" 
of mediums are mainly the wanderers of spirit-land. 
They are Indian girls, children of Nature, who delight 
to linger on the earth plane, or the waifs who fail to 
find congenial companionship on the spirit side of life 
among those who were near to them by blood in the 
earth life. Usually such spirits report themselves by a 
single name only, and quite frequently they refuse to 
give more than the merest outline of their life upon 
earth. Familiar spirit controls, as a class, might be desig- 
nated as the messenger boys of spirit-land chosen to 
convey messages between the two worlds. But back 
of these message bearers there are usually bands of 
spirits of high order, who sometimes control mediums 
directly, and speak through them for specific and noble 
purposes. Such spirits come back with all the courtesy 
and dignity of men and women of high cultivation, and 
they speak with all the fervor and eloquence of the 
world's greatest orators. 

Mr. Sherman, author of "Science of the Soul," says : 
"My first observation of full form materialization oc- 
curred at my own residence. The medium, Mr. James 
Riley, whom I had never seen until four o'clock the same 
afternoon, came to my house shortly before ten o'clock 
in the evening. The 'cabinet' was my own bedroom, 
every door of which had been previously locked, nailed, 
and sealed. The room in which the circle was formed 
was my study, the door between the two rooms being 
closed by heavy portieres. The medium sat down in an 
ordinary chair, having on only black clothing. Within 
ten minutes after taking- his seat, the medium spoke the 

153 



name of a relative of my wife, who had died fifteen years 
previously, as being present in spirit. Then all was si- 
lent for a few minutes, the medium having passed into 
a trance, until the curtain parted and the figure of a 
man a full head taller than the medium, clothed in a 
dress suit with white shirt and collar, stepped out and 
said 'Good evening.' As the figure stood there it dis- 
solved away, the head dropping down until it reached 
the floor, and disappeared. This was the cabinet control 
Mr. Benton." 

"The next figure which appeared was that of a woman, 
said to be one whose name had been spoken by the 
medium. It was somewhat indistinct, and the lights in 
the room being turned higher afterward, better results 
were obtained. Following this closely, two or three male 
figures appeared which were not fully recognized, but 
a voice from the cabinet mentioned a circumstance which 
a gentleman present recognized as one known only to 
himself and a deceased friend, and the inference was 
that one of the figures seen, was his spirit in material 
clothing. The next figure came out at one side of the 
curtain and was recognized by a lady sitting on that 
side of the circle, as her deceased father. He was much 
taller than the medium, and had distinctive character- 
istics of face and form, all of these characteristics being 
disinctly observed by those who sat on that side of the 
circle." 

"The next motioned to Mrs. Sherman, and was 
said to be that of a deceased brother. She advanced to 
the door and took it by the hand, and it said, in a squeaky 
voice 'How do you do?' The brother had been a law- 

159 



yer during his earth life, and Mrs. Sherman noticed 
especially that the hand was soft like that of a man 
unaccustomed to manual labor. The next figure beck- 
oned to me, and was said to be my father. I advanced 
and took its hand, and noticed especially that the hand 
felt like that of a farmer or working man. As I clasped 
the hand, it first grasped mine so that I felt a distinct 
pressure, and then the grasp relaxed and the hand seemed 
to melt away and slip out of mine. At the same time, 
as I looked full in the face of the figure, it fell back- 
ward and melted away." 

"Shortly after this, the figure of a man stepped out 
into the room and glided three steps, following a gentle- 
man who had risen from his chair, and was moving 
towards the door on the opposite side of the room. It 
then turned, and to my vision dissolved in the room. 
One gentleman present, thought he saw it pass back be- 
tween the curtains; others agreed with me that it did 
not go back, and some were uncertain. The sudden and 
unexpected appearance of the figure was startling, and 
the entire event did not occupy fifteen seconds of time. 
One gentleman who sat where he could look the figure 
full in the face, said it resembled my oldest son closely 
enough to be his brother. My second son had died in 
infancy, nineteen years previous. Later in the evening 
a slate was handed out on which the statement was writ- 
ten that Mr. Benton, the cabinet control, was trying to 
materialize Willie's spirit, but he was so excited they 
could not keep him quiet long enough to accomplish it." 

"At one time a figure stepped partly out into the 
room and took from a mantel near the door, a large 

160 



bunch of sweet pe?s. Afterwards these were distrib- 
uted among several of those sitting in the circle who 
stepped up to the curtain and asked for them. It must 
be said regarding these manifestations that it was ut- 
terly impossible for the medium to have a confederate, 
and if he 'made up' to produce the figures, he must 
have done it with material concealed under his ordinary 
clothes. He must also have had with him something to 
increase his height, and to change the feeling of his 
hand from that of a professional man to that of a far- 
mer. My father was a farmer at the time of his death, 
while my wife's brother was a lawyer, and we both no- 
ticed especially the distinctive characteristics of the 
hands we grasped." 

"During the evening the curtains between the two 
rooms were several times thrown back, and we found 
the medium sitting as we had left him, without any sign 
of a change having been made in his clothing. Usually 
he would come out of the trance and call to have the 
curtains drawn back within a minute or two after figures 
had appeared. I, myself, was thoroughly convinced on 
this. occasion that the figures which appeared were actual 
materializations, and that under the circumstances, it 
would have been impossible for the medium to have 
made them up. Afterward, I had still stronger proof of 
the genuineness of manifestations through this medium." 

"The next evening I attended a seance given by the 
same medium at the house of a friend. On this occasion 
Mr. Benton, the cabinet, control, materialized and 
stepped out between the parted curtains, but did not 
speak. A moment afterward he came out at one side of 

161 



the curtain, and took from a mantel two slates which had 
been placed there, those in charge having forgotten to 
put them in the back parlor where the medium was sit- 
ting. Shortly afterward, one of the slates was handed 
out and was found to contain the following writing: 
'Dear Papa and Mamma: I am trying so hard to 
materialize. Oh, how happy I am since you know your 
Willie is not gone from you! I will come if I can. I 
live in a nice world ; plenty of nice children. I go to 
school. Your Willie.' 

Later in the evening the curtains parted and Willie's 
face appeared, as he had frequently 'popped' it out be- 
tween the curtains at his home during life, when he 
wanted to surprise some one. No notice had been given 
us that he was to materialize at that particular time, 
and the sudden appearance of his face in a manner so 
entirely characteristic of him startled me. I jumped to 
my feet and cried, "Willie, Willie, boy!" and Mrs. 
Sherman started forward. In our excitement we forgot 
that movements in the presence of materialized forms 
should be quiet, as sudden disturbances of the atmos- 
phere are liable to cause them to dissolve, and before 
Mrs. Sherman could reach the curtain the face fell away 
and disappeared." 

"Only a few in the room had ever seen Willie in life, 
but the face was so distinct while it remained in view, 
that all recognized its characteristics, especially the hair 
combed 'pompadour,' as Willie had always worn it in 
life, when it was long enough to comb at all. The circum- 
stances were such that I knew it would have been quite 
impossible for the medium to have made up the face, and 

162 



I could not doubt that it was just what it appeared to 
be — Willie's face materialized. At one time, earlier in 
the evening, when the curtains moved, and I was hoping 
to see Willie, I went forward and reached my hand into 
the cabinet. It was grasped at once by a man's hand, 
the same I had taken at my own residence the previous 
evening. Soon after, my father's face and form appeared 
and I again took the hand and held it until it melted 
away in my grasp, the face and body disappearing at the 
same time. Many figures appeared during the sitting; 
at one time the form of a little old lady came out and 
remained some time. The face was recognized by a 
gentleman present as that of his mother, and he went 
forward and took her hand. I watched this figure care- 
fully, and distinctly saw it melt away until the, head and 
face rested on the floor, and dissolved there.' , 

"A man who appeared to be sixty years of age came 
out twice, the last, time stepping well out into the room 
and motioning to a man who stood some feet back of me, 
by whom he was recognized. All this time the lamp in 
the back part of the room gave out so much light that I 
read the slate writings which were handed out by it. At 
another time during the sitting, Mr. Benton stepped out 
into the room with a pitcher of water which a gentleman 
took and placed on the mantel. I subsequently took the 
pitcher in my hands and found it to be nearly full of 
water, the weight being several pounds." 



163 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

Mr. Sherman Has a Sitting With Jim in Detroit, Mich. — Wire- 
less Telegraphy Predicted by The Spirits in 1882 — Sitting 
August 16th, 1909— Jim Gives a Sitting at Camp Haslet 
Park; Four Hundred People Present, With Good Results. 

A few weeks ago I had another sitting with the 
medium in the city of Detroit. We sat for two hours 
and a half, until midnight, without any results. Then the 
medium took lunch and went back into the room which 
was used for a cabinet. The curtains had hardly closed 
behind him, when the figure of a man came out at one 
side and was recognized by a lady present. Within 
a minute afterward Mr. Benton, the control, parted the 
curtains and stood before us. In this case the medium 
could scarcely have changed his coat between the time 
I saw him pass into the cabinet, and the time a figure 
appeared, not resembling him in the least. 

Many personal friends in whose honesty and sound 
judgment I have perfect confidence have reported to me 
their experience with this medium. At the residence of 
one of my friends the medium stepped behind curtains 
which had been hung across the corner of the parlor to 
form a cabinet, and before the lady of the house could 
reach the lamp to turn it down, a man, fully a head taller 
than she, stepped out. She recognized him as her father. 

164 



He came up and put his arm around her in a manner so 
characteristic of his demonstrations of affection when in 
physical life, that it could not be mistaken. Several other 
friends of those present materialized, and all passed 
around the circle, shaking hands. 

Three other friends have reported to me that they 
have seen this medium sitting in a trance in the cabinet, 
on different occasions, when materialized forms were 
out in the room. One gentleman sat; with him one even- 
ing until midnight, without results. The medium then 
took lunch and went back into the cabinet. Very soon 
afterward, Mr. Benton parted the curtains, walked 
around a stove in the room, and going back to the door 
of the room where the medium was sitting, drew aside 
the curtains, sayng to the gentleman, "You see me here, 
do you not? Now look into the cabinet and you will see 
my medium ;" which he did. The gentleman then 
entered into conversation with the control, saying, "Mr. 
Benton, I often hear you say in the cabinet, 'Don't be 
afraid.' Why do you say that?" Mr. Benton replied, "I 
say it to encourage other spirits whom we are trying to 
clothe with material form. To those on the spirit side of 
life who have never materialized, it is like the change 
you call death, passing from one form of existence to 
another, and they are afraid to undertake it." "What 
condition are you in now, Mr. Benton?" was asked. 

Reply: "I am a material being, just as you are. If f 
was not, I could not walk, or talk, or perform any other 
physical act as you see me do. Materialization is in 
effect placing- the soul back into a physical body; some- 
times it may be only a shell; sometimes it may be with 

165 



all the organs. Volumes might be filled with reports of 
materialization supported by evidence entirely unim- 
peachable." 

In materialization, as in nearly all other forms of spirit 
phenomena, it is demonstrated that incarnate souls may 
become the center and source of the phenomena the same 
as decarnate souls. At one of Mr. Riley's sittings at his 
home, his boy, Fred, of sixteen years or thereabouts, 
parted the curtains and showed himself. Some of those 
in the circle exclaimed, "It looks like Fred," who was 
upstairs asleep. Upon closer scrutiny all agreed that 
it was Fred. Not knowing what might have happened, 
Mrs. Riley, alarmed, hastened upstairs to Fred's bed- 
room and was relieved at finding Fred asleep and breath- 
ing. Mr. Benton, the control, afterwards explained that, 
finding Fred asleep, they called his soul downstairs and 
materialized it as an experiment. 

The following is taken from the "Science of the Soul" : 
"Materialization of decarnate souls is a demonstrated 
fact. The evidence is overwhelming. Frauds may be 
sometimes practiced by bogus mediums, but such frauds 
do not prove that there are no genuine materializations, 
any more than the fact that wooden Indians are some- 
times used as signs for tobacco shops, proves that there 
are no genuine Indians. Neither does the fact that the 
materialized forms do not always closely resemble those 
whose spirits are supposed to be thus clothed, as they 
looked in physical life, or the further fact that they 
sometimes bear a close resemblance to the medium, 
prove that fraud is committed. The soul of the medium 
may be projected and materialized, or the magnetism 

166 



drawn from him to render the materializations possible, 
may cause them to take on some of his physical charac- 
teristics." 

"Jesus Christ in materialized form was not recog- 
nized by those who knew him best in physical life, until 
he announced his identity by word of mouth; yet the 
creeds and doctrines of Christian churches are based 
upon the actuality of his resurrection and subsequent 
materialization. St. Paul went, still further, and declared 
that if the dead rise not, then Christ did not rise, and if 
Christ rose not, then are the Christians' faith and preach- 
ing vain." 

(Wireless telegraphy predicted by the spirits in 1882. 
Electricity as a motor power demonstrated by the spirits 
in 1850.) 

In 1882 Dr. Wolf of Cincinnati brought Mrs. Hollis- 
ter, a medium, to that city from Louisville, Kentucky. 
A number of sittings were had, and were attended by 
many prominent people of that city, among them Murat 
Halstead, Don Piatt, and others. The results of the 
sittings were published in the "Cincinnati Gazette," now 
called the "Commercial Tribune." At one of these sittings 
Dr. Wolf was talking to Mrs. Hollister's control, James 
Nolen. Nolen said that they were perfecting a device 
whereby they could control the electrical currents in the 
air with the aid of a powerful battery on earth, so that 
the people on earth could communicate a great distance 
without the use of wires, when they could find an instru- 
ment, a man, to bring it out. This was, as stated before, 
in 1882. Marconi was the man, the "instrument" that 
produced it. I have been reliably informed that Marconi 
married a Spiritualist and he is also of the same faith. 

1G7 



Electricity as a motor power : 
In 1850 a gentleman in Boston built an electric motor 
under the direction of those on the other side of life. It 
worked. The orthodox people heard of it and one night 
they destroyed it, saying it was the devil's work. The 
man who built the motor published a small pamphlet at 
the time, giving a description of it and said, "The people 
are not ready yet to receive it, but fifty years hence, elec- 
tricity will be the motor power," and such became true. 
There is no doubt in my mind that all of the good things 
we get along this line are from the spirit world ; those 
who invent, are impressed by the spirits how to produce 
them. Our friends in spirit life help us in many ways. 
Many on earth manage their business under the direc- 
tion of their friends in the other life. I will give my 
experience with trumpet mediums in the latter part of 
this book; in that experience there were two cases of 
this kind of which I will give a full account. 

At our last sitting Mr. Benton had written on the slate 
that we were not to have any more public seances, for 
they were getting ready to give us something fine for the 
book. We held no sittings for several days thinking 
perhaps a rest would be good for Jim and make con- 
ditions stronger. Monday evening, August 16th, we 
decided to have a sitting. During the day we went to 
Marcellus and Jim was importuned on all sides to let 
them come out to his house. A traveling man from 
Chicago, who had been at Jim's house some time pre- 
viously, 'phoned to Jim wanting to know if he could 
not come out that evening. Jim told him to call up at 
seven o'clock that evening and he would give him an 

168 



answer ; I had taken a walk down the road. The gentle- 
man 'phoned at seven; of course, I was sorry to dis- 
appoint him. I told him that Mr. Benton had said no 
more public sittings during the- writing of the manu- 
script, and that Mr. Benton's word was law. Of course 
he was disappointed, but. this life is full of disappoint- 
ments. 

At nine o'clock Jim went into the cabinet; we sang 
probably ten minutes when scratching or writing on the 
slates was heard, and in a few minutes, the signal was 
given to raise the curtains. We had two messages on the 
slates ; one read : 

"Friends : — Excuse us tonight as we will not be ready 
to give our work until Wednesday eve ; we are all work- 
ing for the success of the book ; Wednesday eve at nine, 
sharp. (Signed), Benton and Powell." 

When this message was read to Jim, he said several 
years ago, Mr. Benton had written on the slate to com- 
mence the seance sharp at 9 :00 P. M. ; it was some ten 
minutes after nine when Jim went into the cabinet. The 
first manifestation they received was a message on the 
slate from Mr. Benton, saying, "Do not let this occur 
again," thus showing that when they set a time for mani- 
festations, they want Jim to be prompt. 

On this evening, August 16th, the other message on 
the slate, was to Mrs. Riley from her father. When 
the slate was thrust through the opening of the curtain 
I started to take it, but it was pulled back, and Mrs. 
Riley received it, which read as follows : 
"Sis : — Ma will come home, satisfied to stay now, poor 
lonely being. Now Sis, don't work too hard. Love to 
Jim. (Signed) Pa." 

169 



I would state here that Mrs. Riley's mother had lived 
at Jim's for several years past. She has property at 
Rochester, Michigan, and went, there several weeks ago> 
but is not satisfied and has intimated in her letters to 
Mrs. Riley that she would like to return to Jim's home. 
She is seventy-four years old. She attends all the 
public sittings that Jim gives and usually fills the slate 
with questions to her husband, and the questions are 
always answered. 

(A remarkable seance given to four hundred people 
at Haslet Park, something never before attempted by 
any medium; his first and last attempt of this kind.) 

In the early part of Jim's mediumship, the managers 
of the Spiritualist camp meeting at Haslet, Park, Michi- 
gan, near Lansing, invited Jim to come to the meeting. 
When he arrived there he was besieged on all sides for 
sittings. He told them that, there was only one way to 
give them all sittings, and that was to give it on the 
rostrum at the Auditorium. He spoke to the managers 
about it, and told them he did not know if he would get 
anything or not, that a sitting of this kind was out of the 
ordinary, and results might be very uncertain, but that 
he was willing to do anything for the good of the cause. 
The managers thought he ought to make a charge and 
give a percentage to the Society; many wanted Jim to 
charge a dollar for each person. Jim replied that the 
phenomena that he was able to produce was as free as 
the Grace of God to the people. (This shows that Jim 
wanted to give this great truth to the people without 
money or price.) The managers acquiesced, and prep- 
arations were made for the sitting that evening. A 

170 



cabinet was built on the rostrum, the time arrived for the 
sitting; four hundred people were in attendance. 

Jim got upon the rostrum and stated that he had never 
attempted to give a sitting to so many people, and he did 
not know what the results would be ; that he was a 
stranger to the most of the people at the camp, and that 
he desired a committee to be appointed to conduct the 
sitting to see that everything was straight and gen- 
uine if we did get manifestations. The committee was 
formed; they took Jim to an anteroom, stripped him to 
see if he had any extra suits, wigs, etc., about his person, 
and reported to the audience that Farmer Riley goes 
into the cabinet with nothing on but the suit of clothes 
you see him wearing, and that there is nothing in the 
cabinet except the chair which he sits on. They also said 
that they would guard the cabinet on the outside to see 
that no one went into the cabinet. 

Jim entered the cabinet, the curtain was pulled down, 
and singing commenced by the audience. In a few 
minutes the form of Mr. Haslet appeared. He was the 
gentleman who donated the park, and who was the presi- 
dent of the Association for a number of years. The 
audience was electrified, overjoyed, to behold their 
former president who was held in the highest esteem. 
Mr. Haslet bowed to the audience and entered the cab- 
inet. A great many more forms materialized, and all 
were recognized by those in the audience. The seance 
was a grand success. Jim remained in camp for two 
weeks, giving sittings with wonderful results. 

Mr. Benton must be thoroughly posted, for he evi- 
dently would not have let Jim attempt giving a seance 

171 



to so large a number of sitters if he had not known 
just what would be the outcome; but he knew that in 
Jim he had a strong medium. My acquaintance with 
Mr. Benton has now been for twenty years. He is a 
fine looking man, is intelligent and upright, and all mes- 
sages received from him are courteous and dignified. 



ra 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

An Interesting Time With J. B. Hagerman — An Anti- Spiritual- 
ist Posing as a Medium and Finally Denounced by the Min- 
isters of Marcellus— The Soul is the Man— There is a 
Spiritual Body. 

About sixteen years ago, J. B. Hagermann came to 
Marcellus in the interest of himself and church. He 
claimed to be a medium, and yet stated that the whole 
thing was a fraud. He went out to Jim's, had two sit- 
tings thinking he could detect Jim in some fraudulent 
work. After the first sitting, Hagermann said to Mr. 
Riley, "I will come back to-morrow night and will settle 
for both sittings." (He, Hagermann, knew he was not 
coming to Riley's the next evening, for on that evening 
he was going to lecture and tell the dear people what 
a fraud and fake Spiritualistic manifestations were.) 
Hagermann remarked after the sitting that the mani- 
festations were the best he had ever seen. 

The next evening the U. B. Church was filled to over- 
flowing with church-members and Spiritualists, church- 
members predominating. The church-members were 
banded together to down Jim, from the fact that the 
church-members were attending his seances, and some- 
thing had to be done to stop it. C. V. Wyland was the 
leading minister in the fight against Jim. Hagerman in 

173 



his discourse stated that he would forfeit five hundred 
dollars if he could not produce what Riley did. Mr. 
Goodrich, a leading Spiritualist, got up in the meeting 
and challenged him to make good what he claimed; it 
was getting warm. Mr. Goodrich arose and said to 
Hagerman, "You had a sitting with Mr. Riley and did 
not pay for it." Hagerman replied, "I will give him 
one hundred dollars if he will accept pay for that sit- 
ting, (thinking Jim would be afraid of a Blue Law 
by which mediums are fined if they accept pay). Let 
Mr. Riley present his bill." 

One of the Spiritualists jumped in his buggy and drove 
rapidly out to Jim's, received the bill, came back to the 
meeting and presented it to Hagerman. He said he 
wanted Mr. Riley to present the bill in person. The 
Spiritualist replied, "We will have him do so to-mor- 
row." Mr. Goodrich asked Hagerman if he would de- 
bate the question with one of their speakers. Mr. Hager- 
man replied that he certainly would. Mr. Goodrich tele- 
graphed for L. V. Moulton of Grand Rapids, Michigan, 
who reached Marcellus the next evening at eight o'clock, 
Mr. Goodrich having met him at Schoolcraft with a team 
to drive to Marcellus. When they entered the church, 
which was filled with church-members and Spiritualists 
again, Mr. Goodrich introduced Mr. Moulton to Hager- 
man. He was not polite enough to ask Mr. Moulton to 
sit on the platform, and said, "This is our meeting." 
Mr. Moulton took his seat among the audience and took 
notes, as he proposed answering Hagerman the next 
evening. 

Hagerman delivered an abusive lecture and made 

174 



statements he knew he could not substantiate. Mr. 
Moulton quietly took notes. At the close of the meet- 
ing, Rev. Mr. Wyland announced that at the meeting for 
the next evening, Mr. Moulton would answer Mr. Hager- 
man. He wanted to see fair play. The next evening 
Mr. Goodrich was in the chair as chairman, when Hager- 
man and the ministers filed in. Mr. Goodrich said tc 
Mr Moulton, ''Shall we invite them to the platform?" 
Mr. Moulton replied, ''Certainly, invite them to the plat- 
form." Hagerman took his seat immediately behind Mr. 
Moulton, who is not only an able speaker, but a lawyer 
and a medium. Moulton quoted a passage of Scripture. 
One of the ministers jumped up and said, "I would like 
you to show me that passage." Moulton said, "You sit 
down; this is our night." Then he turned to the au- 
dience and gave the chapter and verse, so they could 
find it. This made the minister wrathy. Moulton said 
to Hagerman, "You know that Spiritualism is true. Be- 
cause you are such an inferior medium, it does not stand 
to reason that all mediums are like you." He scored 
him good, and he sat there like a whipped cur and never 
said a word. The ministers were beginning to get their 
eyes open. 

Jim came in with his bill against Hagerman, but 
Hagerman could not be found. Later on he met Mr. 
Wyland and the other ministers. He said to them, that 
he wanted to present his bill to Hagerman as he had 
been informed that Hagerman said he would give him one 
hundred dollars if he would present the bill. The entire 
party went to the place where Hagerman was stopping; 
one of the ministers called him out. He said, "Why, 

175 



how do you do, Mr. Riley." Jim said, "I am here to 
present the bill for the sitting." Hagerman said, "Let 
me see it; it might not be written right. I will give it 
back to you." Jim said, "I would not trust such a man. 
I don't think you have one hundred cents." The minis- 
ters then spoke up. They saw that Hagerman had com- 
pletely backed down ; he could not make good his propo- 
sition. They said, "We know Mr. Riley to be an hon- 
est man, , and he wants to do right. You have not acted 
honorably in this matter and we. denounce you and want 
nothing more to do with you." Hagerman left town 
and has never returned to Marcellus. 

Rev. Wyland asked Jim to give him a sitting. He com- 
plied, and got good results. He told his congregation 
what he had seen at Riley's and said it was wonderful. 
He saw things he could not explain. He gave up the 
ministry and went to practicing law. No more efforts 
were made to down Jim, and I can safely say that three 
fourths of the people in Marcellus and vicinity are 
Spiritualists. 

The soul is the man. There is a spiritual body. 

"If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual 
body." Corinthians XV:44. Revised Version. 

"I hold to be scientifically and positively demonstrated 
that there resides in man a perceptive, individualized in- 
telligence which is not dependent upon the physical body 
for its existence or manifestations. I also hold it to be 
demonstrated by the reproduction of the body to physi- 
cal perception both spontaneously and by intent and 
in both the waking and sleeping states that there 
is a spiritual as well as a physical body, as declared 

176 



by St. Paul in the quotation, standing at the head of 
this article. This spiritual body is the counterpart of 
the physical, and may be considered as the spiritual ten- 
ement of the soul. That the soul of man is his conscious 
individuality, his ego, his life ; that from it proceeds his 
thoughts, his desires, his affections, his emotions, every- 
thing that distinguishes and differentiates him from in- 
animate matter, is clearly demonstrated by the mental 
phenomena of everyday life, when considered in connec- 
tion with the hypothesis herein set forth, and with the 
phenomena in evidence." 

"Studies of childhood prove that the infant perceives 
its hands, its feet, and every part of its physical body 
as something external to itself and its consciousness. 
Later in life we come to regard our bodies in a somewhat 
different light; but who, even by the supremest effort 
of will can force his consciousness to regard his physical 
person as a whole or any part of it as himself — his ego? 
A man can think of 'my brain/ 'my heart/ 'my eyes/ 
and of all 'my parts' and organs, but when he thinks 
or speaks of 'myself/ intuitively he recognizes his ego 
as something not material. It is true that by reason 
of the transformation of the primary consciousness of 
the soul into physical consciousness through the organs 
of the physical body, we come to regard our mental 
powers as hedged in by the physical environment; and 
so they are, to a large extent, while the soul remains 
in the body." 

"Accepting the hypothesis and the fact that the soul 
is not dependent on the body, while the body is inert 
matter without it, all mental and physical phenomena 

177 



are perfectly accounted for. This hypothesis brings 
order, system, and simplicity into the realms of spirit 
mind and matter, and renders it possible for man to com- 
prehend what he is as an individual, and what his re- 
lations to the Creator and all things are. The body is 
the engine; the physical mind is the governor which 
regulates and controls it; the soul is the steam which 
operates both engine and governor." 

— From "Science of the Soul." 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

An Unexpected Seance — Spirit Artist Comes Back to Earth and 
Continues His Work — A Poem — Address to the Reader — Is 
Spiritualism a Fraud — Never an Evil Spirit — Low and Un- 
developed Spirits. 

On the evening of August 17th, 1909, Mrs. Hotop of 
the American House, of Kalamazoo, and Miss MeMa- 
hon reached Jim's home and desired a sitting. Jim in- 
formed them that he was not giving any sittings for the 
public at this time, under instruction from Mr. Benton 
on account of concentrating and reserving the forces 
for an article for the book now being written. "But," 
he said, "you have gone to so much trouble to come here, 
I do not wish to disappoint you; we will try and get 
something for you." (It is hard for Jim to refuse any- 
one a seance.) 

At 9 P. M. Jim entered the cabinet ; in a few moments 
we heard the writing going on the slates, and we received 
the following messages : "Brother we are very sorry, but 
we must disappoint these ladies some as we do not wish 
to use the medium's force much until after to-morrow." 

John Benton. 

This showed that Mr. Benton also did net want to 
disappoint them, but from the way the message read, 
the sitting would be short. Jim did not leave the cabinet. 

179 



I dropped the curtain and arranged the folds at the bot- 
tom, and had just straightened up, when the curtains 
parted, and there stood the form of Fred Hotop, the 
husband of Mrs. Hotop, he having passed over about two 
years ago. Five other forms materialized, among them 
Will Webster, who had appeared at our last sitting. We 
concluded that he was evidently coming for some pur- 
pose. What it was we do not know. 

A form appeared for Miss McMahon, but she was 
so nervous and excited she could not talk to it. The cur- 
tain was raised. In ten minutes Jim re-entered the cabi- 
net, and shortly the slates were handed out, one for Mrs. 
Hotop with a long message. The nature of it was prin- 
cipally business, regarding the hotel, which cannot be 
stated here, and which was entirely satisfactory to her, 
what she came for. The other message was to the 
writer and read as follows : "My dear subject : — We have 
our work at hand and will be on hand at nine, sharp, 
to-morrow. Good night, as the forces are exhausted." 

Dr. Powell. 

New York, July 1st, 1909. 

A noted artist passed to the other life, returned, and 
through another person continues his work on earth. 

The strange story of the spirit of a dead artist tak- 
ing possession of the mind of a living man and impell- 
ing him to carry on the artist's unfinished work is related 
by Prof. James H. Hyslop, President of the American 
Society for Psychical Research, who, in connection with 
Prof. Isaac K. Funk recently came to the conclusion 
that the spirit of man lives after his body is dead. 

180 



Robert Swain Gifford, the artist in question, died in 
1905 at his summer home near New Bedford, Massa- 
chusetts. Frederick L. Thompson, a goldsmith, had met 
Gifford only twice, and knew him but slightly. Thomp- 
son had never indicated any ability as an artist until six 
months after the death of Gifford, when he did not even 
know that Gifford had died. He was suddenly seized 
with an impulse to paint a picture, and going to work 
on it, he was surprised at his ability. While he was 
painting, the voice of Gifford seemed to tell him to con- 
tinue the work he had started. Thompson continued 
painting, always obsessed by the spirit of Gifford, and 
found a ready market for them, many purchasers com- 
menting on their similarity to Gifford's paintings. 

Fearing that his mind was giving way, in 1907, 
Thompson called on Hyslop. By arrangement he made 
several sketches for pictures at the instance of what he 
considered to be Gifford's spirit. Hyslop locked these 
up in a safe and then Thompson went to New Bedford 
and called on Gifford's widow, where he had never been, 
and whom he had never met. One of the first things 
Mrs. Gifford showed him was a sketch which Gifford 
had made a short time before his death, and which had 
been locked up and seen by no one until a few days be- 
fore Thompson's call. The sketch was exactly similar 
in every detail to one of the sketches Thompson had left 
with Hyslop. This fact, and equally surprising features 
in the case prompted Hyslop to even a stronger belief 
that the spirit lives after death, and that the artist Gif- 
ford's spirit finds communication with this World through 
the medium of Thompson. 

181 



A poem. Address to the Reader. Is Spiritualism a 
Fraud? Never have seen an absolute evil spirit. Low 
and undeveloped spirits. 

Oh, if I could some truth impart, 

To reach some sin-sick, sorrowing heart, 

And lead them up truth's shining way, 

Where loving angels ever stay, 

Until they'd rise above all wrong 

And with us sing progression's song, 

For them we'd open wide the door 

That they life's beauties might explore. 

And when they'd entered there within, 

The Holy temple free from sin, 

We'd strike life's harp strings quick and strong 

And sing for them redemption's song. 

And when our song their being thrilled, 

With love divine their souls would fill ; 

Oh, then we'd take them by the hand, 

And welcome them to spirit land. 

"Dear reader, are you one who has as yet never been 
interested in Spiritualism enough to give it a thorough 
investigation, and to-day can you say you know nothing 
of it? If so, you have thus far in your life been feed- 
ing upon husks, while the germ of truth has escaped 
your notice. If you think, dear reader, that Spiritualism 
is a fraud or a humbug, we earnestly entreat you as a 
lover of humanity to investigate it and expose whatever 
there is of fraud or humbug about it, but do not deny 
the facts. Your cry of fraud, or humbug, before you 

182 



have given the subject a thorough investigation, amounts 
to nothing. For any person's opinion, in regard to any 
subject of which they know nothing, is entirely worth- 
less. Is Spiritualism a fraud? You, dear reader, are 
a spirit entity, yourself, only clothed with a material 
covering that is, for the time being, the medium through 
which you express yourself, and through the same me- 
dium you receive the expression of others. Are you, 
dear reader, a fraud, a humbug? You certainly are, if 
Spiritualism is such. And so is all there is to life; for 
all the material universe is but the expression of the in- 
visible or spiritual force that moves and controls all 
things. Oh no, kind reader, you are not a humbug, 
neither is Spiritualism. You are a grand individualiza- 
tion from the infinite spirit of life. And Spiritualism 
is the law and result of the boundless and infinite ocean 
of life, from which you were individualized. Hence, 
you, kind reader, are a part of the phenomena of Spirit- 
ualism." 

"Spiritualism, in its broadest sense, means the bound- 
less universe of life, and the science of Spiritualism is 
the science of life in every department of life. Hence, 
dear friend, the phrase or expression that demonstrates 
a channel of communication between spirits, occupying 
a material form in earth life, and the spirits in spirit life, 
is only a speck of truth, as it were, in the boundless sea 
of spirituality. And yet this speck of knowledge that 
demonstrates a future existence for mankind, when the 
cares and trials, and the temptations of this life are 
over, is the grandest revelation ever yet given to man on 
this earth plane of existence." 

183 



"Otuyes, kind reader, you are a speck of life, plucked 
from the infinite ocean of life, with an immortal inheri- 
tance destined to live on and on forever, and forever 
be able to learn more and more of life's lessons; for- 
ever climbing higher and higher up the mount of prog- 
ress, where, sometime in the great future that lies be- 
fore you, you may serenely stand, 

'High up on the mountain-side, 
And view this dark world o'er, 
When sin and sorrow, pain and woe, 
Will be felt and feared no more.' " 

"Kind reader, that prophecy will be literally fulfilled 
sometime in the future. But not until knowledge has 
covered the earth as the waters cover the sea; but for 
that time we shall labor. Kind reader, will you labor with 
us ? Is there enough in Spiritualism to enlist your earn- 
est co-operation? Spiritualism is the Alpha and Omega 
of life, the truth of all truths, the science of all sciences, 
the harbinger of all knowledge, and the grand and glori- 
ous fruition of all progress and unfoldment. Then 
come, dear reader, why feast ye upon the husks of a bar- 
ren field, while the golden fruit of life's harvest hangs 
all around your pathway? That golden fruit of knowl- 
edge clusters in rich and luscious pearls of thought upon 
every branch and twig of the tree of life. We have only 
been able to gather and present to you in this article a 
few of the leaflets of thought from this grand old tree. 
If you would taste its fruit, you must reach forth your 
own hand, and gather it for yourself. No man or angel 
can gather it for you." 

184 



"It's yours to take, or yours to shun, 

And may your choice be a noble one, 

May you pluck the fruit from the grand old tree, 

And thus in time much wiser be." 

"Dear reader, when ignorance or bigotry tells you that 
Spiritualism is a fraud or humbug, you may know that 
they know nothing of the subject, or else they are falsi- 
fiers. When the priesthood tells you it is a satanic de- 
lusion, you may look for his Satanic Majesty among the 
people who know him so well, for Spiritualism and Spir- 
itualists know nothing of that personage who has been, 
and is, so far-famed among the clergy of the past and 
present time. Some people appear to know all about 
him and his movements. Well, perhaps, they do, and 
are well acquainted with that noted personage, if person 
he is. But as for us, we know him not. Indeed, we 
know of no such thing or being as an absolute evil spirit. 
We know of low and undeveloped spirits; of spirits in- 
dividualized, and born, and educated under low and very 
inharmonious conditions, who have not yet arisen above 
a low, selfish and inharmonious plane of life, and it is 
for such spirits that we work, and through progressive 
unfoldment, raise them to a higher plane of life. All 
the human spiritual beings that we know anything of, 
are capable of becoming unfolded to a plane of thought, 
where they can become comparatively wise and useful 
members of society, either in earth or spirit life." 

"Again, if the great and infinite spirit of all life is 
good, as reason teaches us it is, through an investigation 
of the phenomena of life, then, of course, all individ- 

185 



i 



ualized spirit entities are but drops, as it were, of the 
great infinite spirit. Then it follows as a logical fact, 
that there can not be such an entity in existence as an 
evil spirit, and to claim there is, is either to denounce 
the great spirit of all life as an evil spirit, or else admit 
that the Great Spirit is only a finite power, and that an- 
other evil spirit, called the devil, can and does exist out- 
side of the spirit of all life, which we claim fills immens- 
ity, and either of these propositions to us is unreasonable, 
illogical and false. No, kind reader, in our few years 
of life in earth and spirit life, we have never seen a 
personal God, or a devil, of whom we hear so much 
during our short career in earth life, but we have seen 
humanity in many of the various vicissitudes and condi- 
tions in life, and we love humanity, and for it we will 
labor until progress shall unfold their minds to arise 
higher and above all the false gods that have ever been 
worshiped, and all the imaginary devils that have ever 
found lodgment in an undeveloped mind. And here a 
love for humanity, and a love for truth which should 
and must be penned, compels me to write what I sin- 
cerely believe to be true, that all the gods who have ever 
been found, are but creations of the human mind, created 
therein when a lack of understanding the laws of life, 
and life's forces by the human mind, caused those im- 
aginary monsters to find lodgment in the mind of man ; 
and then by the holy sanctity flung around them by 
their adherents, those ideas have been passed down the 
ages, until the present period of time finds them unob- 
literated, yet somewhat modified." 

"I am aware that those remarks won't be well relished 

186 



by some of those in earth life, who claim to belong to 
the advance army of progress, but I cannot help that, I 
must write as I see it ; I am no sycophant, neither do I 
speak or write to please, but to utter truth. I work for 
humanity, with a desire to do it good; to bless them 
with truth, though it may now be unpopular, rather than 
to curse humanity with error, and receive the applause 
of the multitude. I see the inconsistency of the popular 
theories, and the sooner error is eradicated from the 
mind of man, and the truth supply the demand of the 
human mind instead of error, the faster mankind will 
move onward and upward in the pathway of human un- 
foldment." 
(Leaflets of thought gathered from the Tree of Life.) 



187 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

An Extraordinary Seance — Good Thoughts and Harmony — An 
Address to the Readers of This Book by the Spirit of Dr. 
Powell, John Benton and Others — Message to Mrs. Riley 
and Jim From His Mother — Materialization of Forms — A 
Spirit Carries the Music Box Weighing 18^ Pounds Out 
of the Cabinet to the Writer — Good Night. 

August 18th, 1909. 

Following the instructions received, at a former sit- 
ting, from Dr. Powell and Mr. Benton, to sit at nine 
P. M. sharp, Jim entered the cabinet promptly as the 
clock struck nine. I placed four slates on the bed, feel- 
ing assured that we would receive lengthy messages ; 
I placed the music box also on the bed, thinking perhaps 
they would wind it up and have some music, as they 
frequently do. We all felt that we were going to have 
a seance out of the ordinary. We sang about ten minutes 
when the slates were seemingly pushed off the bed to the 
floor, making considerable noise as they struck the floor. 
Our supposition was that handing them through the 
aperture of the curtains uses up a certain amount of 
force, and this was saved by simply throwing them off 
the bed. 

The curtain was thrown back and we found the four 
slates, written full. The slates were numbered one, two, 
three and four, containing the following message : 

188 



"Friends, and loved ones in spirit with us, — To-night 
we are assembled here for the purpose of communion, 
with each other, and we wish to quicken the soul forces 

of Brother V so after he leaves here, we can 

inspire his thoughts for the latter end of our book, so 
it will reach the soul of its readers and bring peace, con- 
solation and love into their lives. We are happy to find 
so much harmony here to-night, both on the mundane 
and spiritual plane. We find we must work our medium 
slowly and carefully, as we have much work to perform 
before we bid you good night; so be patient, and at 
midnight all have a cup of coffee, so with our blessings 
we will now let the medium rest a short time." 

(Signed) Powell, Benton and others. 

This sitting lasted thirty minutes. Jim rested per- 
haps fifteen minutes and then entered the cabinet. We 
shortly heard them writing and in ten minutes, Jim 
asked to have the curtain raised, and we received the 
following message : "We are very thankful for the good 
thoughts our medium is sending out to us, also for the 
good thoughts we receive from you all. Our medie 
came back in here a few moments too quickly." 

After thirty minutes, Jim returned to the cabinet. We 
sang for about twenty minutes, when the signal was 
given that the slates were ready, and the following was 
received : 

"This book we dedicate to the thinking public. Study 
its pages carefully, honestly; do not condemn it until 
read, then you will not feel like condemning, but bless 
the writer for bringing the glad tidings. Man lives, and 
has a conscious existence after the change, called death. 

189 



Yes, dear reader, there is no death ; if you could only see 
the number of happy souls here to-night as we mingle 
with the blessed ones on the mundane sphere." 

Jim rested another thirty minutes and entered the 
cabinet again; within ten minutes we could hear them 
writing, and within fifteen minutes we were notified 
they were through writing. The following message was 

for the writer : My subject, — I will stay with you ■ 

until your work is done. Please make and drink your 
coffee before the medium returns in here; we will need 
all his strength before morning." 

(Signed) Dr. Powell. 

The following message was received by Mrs. Riley 
and Jim: "My darling loved children, — I come to you 
to-night with a mother's love and greeting. We have 
met here as you of the earth plane meet to a reunion. 
Clara, my daughter, please thank these kind, good peo- 
ple in your home for paving the way for you and my 
dear son, James, to live a more quiet life, free from 
worry and care. I must not occupy too much of this 
valuable time for the wise ones are here. We all send 
love and blessing." 

(Signed) Mother Rachel Riley. 

Lunch was ready about 12:30 A. M. After lunch, 
about 1 :00 A. M., Jim entered the cabinet and asked 
me to take his hand a moment; I dropped the curtains 
and as usual arranged them at the bottom to exclude all 
light, which did not occupy over five seconds. I straight- 
ened up, and there stood the form of Dr. Carpenter, one 
of his controls ; he patted me on the head and bowed to 
the sitters, then disappeared, and immediately Mr. Ben- 

190 



ton appeared, attired in a black suit, low cut vest, white 
shirt front, collar and black necktie, and said: "Good 
evening, friends," and bowed. We bid him good even- 
ing, and he disappeared. I asked him to come again, 
saying to him, "I am glad to meet you again." He ap- 
peared again, bowing. (I will state here that Mr. Ben- 
ton is a tall man; his height is six feet, one inch.) 
Within two minutes another form appeared, short and 
stout, and having the music box in his hands. He 
walked out of the cabinet, the writer jumped up and met 
him and took it from his hands. He bowed to the sit- 
ters and re-entered the cabinet. The music box weighs 
eighteen and one-half pounds. This would seem im- 
probable to a skeptic, but thousands who have attended 
Jim's sittings will verify what is stated here, not only 
regarding the music box, but all other manifestations 
that are produced through Jim's mediumship. 

Mrs. Riley had placed a bouquet of flowers on the 
bed; her father's hand appeared in the opening of the 
curtains with the bouquet. (Her father lost the first 
finger on his hand and the second finger is crooked ; the 
hand is always shown in that condition.) I presume 
he does this so that she may be sure to know he is her 
father. Signal was given that the sitting was over, and 
on a slate was written, "Dear ones, — We have decided 
that you have received as much as you can digest, so 
good night." Benton. 

The writing of Mr. Benton, Dr. Powell, and Jim's 
mother was all different. This sitting was superior to 
any other we have had. The forms were distinct in a 
good light. When we told Jim what we had received, 

191 



in materializations and about the spirit carrying the 
music box, he said he would give a great deal to see it ; 
but of course, he cannot see the phenomena that are pro- 
duced through his own mediumship. Jim must have a 
wonderful constitution to stand this work for so many 
years, for there is no question, it draws strongly on his 
vitality. He informs me that in the year 1892, he gave 
368 sittings, having given some sittings during the day; 
a wonderful record ; some of the sittings lasted far into 
the night. 



m 



CHAPTER XXX. 

Christianity and Spiritualism Contrasted — A Mental Glimpse of 
the Toilers Ascending the Mount of Progress — What I Have 
Not Seen, and What I Have Seen — Our Watch Fires are 
Burning — The Redemption of Mankind — The Law of Hered- 
ity — Advice to All by a Noted Writer in Spirit Life. 

"The basis of Spiritualism is the phenomena and 
science of life. The phenomena and science of life re- 
moves the foundation of Christianity, for it demon- 
strates that the fall of man through Adam was a myth 
and had no foundation in fact. It also proves that the 
atonement through the blood of Jesus Christ is another 
myth, and has no real foundation in truth. Spiritualism 
teaches that knowledge that leads mankind to cease to 
do evil and learn to do good, is the only and true saviour 
of the human race from the effects of wrong deeds ; that 
each one must atone for his own wrong deeds by suffer- 
ing the penalty attached thereto through nature's laws. 
Those two systems are as diametrically opposite as any 
opposites in the chemistry of matter. And yet, that art- 
ful foe of progress that exists in spirit life seeks to 
blind those who can be blinded; and even some noted 
speakers upon the spiritual rostrum, in their sensitive 
condition are sometimes made to utter sentiments favor- 
able to such a union." 



193 



"Friends of human progress in earth life : Let one 
who has for many years been an earnest worker for the 
elevation of the human race through the unfoldment of 
mind in earth and spirit life, be allowed to give you a 
word of warning. Spiritualism is the grandest and the 
highest truth that has ever been revealed to mankind on 
earth. It is a truth that does not need to be bolstered 
up by Christianity, or led by the artful cunning of the 
priesthood in earth or spirit life. Let it stand alone, and 
stand or fall on its merits or demerits. All the religions 
of the past or present have been and are based upon belief 
that is undemonstrable, while Spiritualism, which is the 
science of life, is capable of demonstration. Spiritualism 
to us is not a religion ; it is the science of life that, in 
the human heart will more than fill all the demands of 
man's nature that religion can fill. While religion has 
only supplied belief to satisfy the demands of the human 
soul, Spiritualism brings a knowledge from the facts 
and phenomena of life." 

"Through the past in the religious world, mankind 
has suffered and sorrowed. Religion came to them as 
a hope to assuage their sorrows, and through belief 
pointed them to a brighter day in the future. To-day, 
mankind suffers and sorrows, but spiritual science brings 
to them a knowledge of life. It not only proves to them 
a brighter and happier day in the future, but it teaches 
them the laws of life that must be obeyed if we would 
be happy. Our friend whom we respect and love passes 
through what is called death ; and as we sit silently by 
the casket that contains the cold and lifeless form of the 
one we love so dearly, religion comes to us and tells us, 

194 



'Your loved and loving friend has gone to that bourne 
from which no traveler returns. If your loved friend 
had sufficient faith in the atoning blood of Jesus, prob- 
ably the gate of Heaven was opened and your friend en- 
tered therein; but if that faith was lacking, and the 
robes of your friend had not been made white in the 
blood of the Lamb, why then, of course, your friend has 
gone to the other place from which there is no redemp- 
tion, and where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not 
quenched.' And this theory is called the consolation 
that religion offers to a poor, grief-stricken, mourning 
heart. ,, " 

"But what of the science of life, or Spiritualism ; has 
it no better consolation to offer the poor, grief-stricken 
heart? Oh yes, it has. The science of life, which is 
Spiritualism, tells me as I sit by the cold and lifeless 
form of my dearly loved friend, 'Your friend is not dead, 
neither gone to a bourne from which no traveler returns ; 
but, though the spirit has withdrawn from the casket 
of clay, your friend stands by your side ; still lives, and 
loves you still; that there is no angry, vindictive God 
who will consign your friend to an eternal hell ; no Jesus 
in whom you must have implicit faith, to be happy. But 
your dear friend is a child of nature infinite in possi- 
bility, and born according to nature's laws with an in- 
heritance of life everlasting. That your friend is born a 
progressive being; that outside the law of progress is 
the keynote that moves all things onward, towards higher 
conditions of life. Yes, more than all that, it teaches 
and demonstrates the truth that your friend can still 
communicate with you. And more than that, it teaches 

195 



and demonstrates the truth that under certain conditions, 
your friend can take on a material form, that you can 
clasp the hand of that friend, and that you can exchange 
the kiss of affection as you did in days of yore, when 
your friend was with you here upon this cold and dark 
earth shore/ And this is a little consolation that Spirit- 
ualism brings to the poor mourning heart. It is the con- 
solation that knowledge imparts ; that robs death of its 
sting, and the grave of its victory. A consolation that 
a belief in all religions combined cannot impart. And 
this grand and glorious consolation is the fruition of the 
science of life, as expressed through Spiritualism. It 
is above all religions ; for it is a truth that has been 
and can again be demonstrated." 

"Friends of progress, do not belittle this grand truth, 
the science of all life, by terming it a religion. It is not 
a religion, but a science that can and does fill the human 
soul with more true joy, than all the religions of which 
earth can boast. And when a human soul is truly bap- 
tized in the divine fountain of this science, they need no 
religion, for the demands of their divine natures are 
supplied from the living fountain of spiritual truth." 

"Again, dear friend, you, who are journeying in the 
pathway of life, seeking more light and more truth, 
do not attach the grand science of Spiritualism to the 
blood-stained car of the Christian religion. If you do, 
you by so doing will retard the progress of the human 
race for many years. But it cannot be stopped ; it may 
for a time be checked, but it will surely succeed; for the 
power that is moving onward, the mighty car of progress, 
is greater than all the combined powers of its deadliest 

196 



foes. Dear pilgrim, in earth life, we have not given a 
detailed history of our labors in spirit life science the 
few first years of our sojourn among the immortals, for 
that would occupy too much time and space ; our present 
purpose is only to impart to the reader some of the move- 
ments among the inhabitants of the spirit life, and some- 
thing of the connecting chain between earth and the 
spirit land, together with some of the underlying prin- 
ciples of human life and human unfoldment in the bound- 
less universe of infinite life. ,, 

"But I desire to here remark that, for more than half 
a century that I have dwelt in spirit life, I have labored 
hard and earnestly for the elevation and unfoldment of 
the human race, both in earth and spirit life; and I ex- 
pect to labor for the elevation of myself and others until 
humanity in earth and spirit life shall stand upon a 
higher plane of unfoldment than they now occupy. Yea, 
more than this. As I look out into the vast realms of 
infinite space and behold the innumerable worlds therein 
displayed, as I reflect upon the infinite sea of wisdom 
that is outstretched before me, the waters of which I 
have never yet tasted ; as I behold the mountains of 
knowledge that arise so grand and majestic before me; 
as I behold so many of the wise and noble sages in spirit 
life (whose shoe laces I am yet unworthy to unloose), 
toiling up the rugged mount of progress, the summit 
of which can never be reached, for it has no summit; 
when I realize that millions of human, thinking, intelli- 
gent, loving, kind, and noble men and women are far in 
advance of me in ascending the grand old mountain ; and 
when I know that those in advance are ever extending a 

197 



helping hand to those beneath them; and when I con- 
template that I am an immortal being, and possess within 
my individuality infinite possibilities, and that to progress 
there are no bounds ; oh then, dear pilgrims in earth life, 
I expect to be toiling up the grand old mount of progress 
while the infinite ages of eternity shall roll their cease- 
less rounds.'* 

"Kind reader, will you accompany me in this grand 
and glorious journey? Will you lay off all bad habits, 
if you have any; discard all false creeds; and with your 
vision fixed steadily and firmly upon the truths of life, 
clasp hands with us and let us climb the mount of prog- 
ress together? The wisdom you can gather will be a 
light to guide your weary footsteps while you remain in 
earth life, and a diadem to adorn your brow in spirit 
life that will grow brighter and brighter for ages after 
the priests have been disrobed, and the crowns of 
earthly monarchs have crumbled to decay." 

"But we must return to our narrative. During all 
those years that I have passed in spirit life, I have not 
seen a personal god sitting upon a golden throne, with 
Jesus at his right hand, ready to judge the quick and the 
dead; neither have I seen the throne we read of in the 
Bible. But I have seen the expressions of the quicken- 
ing spirit of life that pulsates through the boundless uni- 
verse of matter and spirit. I have seen many noble 
souls of both sexes in spirit life, whose whole visage 
bespoke the grand power of goodness, wisdom, truth, 
and love ; who had, through many years of struggle, toil, 
and temptation in earth and spirit life, succeeded in con- 
quering all their selfish desires and animal passions, and 

198 



had thus through the law of progress, reached a condi- 
tion in life that is far superior to the imaginary condi- 
tion of the saints, singing around a golden throne. 
Though I have not seen the crown placed upon the 
brow of a God, I have seen the crown of reason and in- 
telligence sparkling upon the brow of many pilgrims 
of the better way as they were climbing progression's 
mountain, seeking to know more of life and its mys- 
teries/' 

"Though I have never seen Jesus Christ, I have seen 
many loving and noble souls whose undying love for 
humanity and truth has caused them for years to wear 
a crown of persecution, if not thorns, placed upon their 
brow by an ignorant and superstitious multitude, who 
claimed to be followers of Jesus, but who, we thought, 
came nearer being the followers of his persecutors. I 
have never seen the devil, that arch-fiend of the fiery 
regions, of whom we have read so much in the 
Bible, and of whom so much has been said in the pulpits 
on earth; but I have seen expressed through the unde- 
veloped spiritual powers of humanity, all phases of ani- 
mal life. I have seen in the human form, expressions 
of the wolf from the forest, the bear from the moun- 
tains, the tiger and lion from the jungles of the wilder- 
ness, the serpent and the dove all manifested or expressed 
in the human form. To bring all those fierce animal pas- 
sions under the subjection of love and wisdom, is our 
mission, and the mission of Spiritualism. To cause the 
lion of the fierce passion, and the lamb of innocence and 
peace, to lie down together in harmony in the breast of 
man, is our mission. Can we do it? We have done 

199 



it, and what has been done, can be done again; wisdom, 
truth, and love combined, if mixed in the proper pro- 
portions and fed judiciously, will educate and tame the 
wildest animal passions that ever wrangled in the human 
breast. We have seen the lion and tiger of passion in 
man's breast tearing at the very vitals of the human 
heart, and we have seen wisdom, truth, and love subdue 
those ferocious beasts, and a little child could lead them 
in the pathway of progress that leads to higher fields 
of wisdom." 

"It is more wisdom, truth, and love that humanity 
needs to move it upward in the pathway of progress. 
Mankind has long been searching for wisdom and truth 
in the musty records of the bygone ages, and has only 
succeeded in bringing to light false theories of a false 
and idol God, created in the minds of men in the dark 
ages of the past, when heathen mythology ruled the ig- 
norant masses of mankind. And at that period of time, 
love for the great mass of humanity was almost an un- 
known qualification of the human heart on earth; but 
to-day, the advanced minds on earth and in spirit life, 
are seeking for light and knowledge where it is to be 
found in the storehouse of all knowledge — the phenomena 
of life." 

"Forty-one years have hardly passed and gone since 
the spiritual battery was first openly established on earth, 
that by the raps was opened a line of communication be- 
tween friends on earth and friends in spirit life. And lo! 
what a change! Although those minds in spirit life, 
having the movement in charge, dare not let the light 
from their spirit spheres shine but dimly, for a flood 

200 



of light from the higher life at first would have dazzled 
minds in earth life, only to blind them. Hence, it was 
necessary to move slowly and cautiously at first, but 
steadily has the work moved onward. Cur watchfires 
have been kept burning, until we now have a light upon 
almost every hilltop and valley in all the enlightened 
nations of the earth. Millions in earth life have seen 
the light, and rejoice in a knowledge of spiritual inter- 
course." 

"Yea, more. Millions have met their friends face to 
face, whom they had mourned as dead; have clasped 
them by the hand, talked with them and exchanged the 
kiss of affection as in the long ago ; and with hearts over- 
flowing with gratitude, they bless the day and the power 
that brought this glorious truth to earth's inhabitants. 
And the rejoicing has by no means all been among the 
people on earth. In spirit life the joy has been at least 
equally as great, for there were millions in spirit life who 
rejoiced because they could tell their friends in earth 
life that they still lived and still loved them as in former 
times. Thus spirit communion is established on earth as 
a fixed fact, and those who now oppose it so strongly 
are the ignorant and prejudiced, or those who have not 
cared to earnestly investigate the phenomena, " 

"But, although so much has been accomplished dur- 
ing the last forty years, there is yet a great work to do. 
When we look over the earth, and behold the dark and 
unhappy conditions of the human race, our hearts would 
almost sink in despair were it not that the star of prog- 
ress shines so radiantly for all mankind, and did we 
not know that there is a vast army of good and true 

201 



workers in spirit life, with their army of co-workers 
in earth life, who will never desert the work until man- 
kind is redeemed from ignorance, sorrow, crime, and 
the vast horde of unfortunates whose unhappy condi- 
tions surround them to-day." 

"In Christian countries mankind has been waiting and 
praying for nearly two thousand years for redemption 
through Jesus Christ, and praying to God to do that 
which belonged to themselves to do. If mankind in earth 
life is never redeemed until Jesus redeems them, they 
will never be redeemed. So long as the masses of man- 
kind in earth life depend upon Jesus or any one else to 
become their scapegoat, or to bear the penalty for their 
wrong deeds, so long will mankind be cursed with crime 
and its innumerable evils. The only redemption for 
mankind is a knowledge that will unfold the mind of 
man morally, intellectually, and spiritually; that will 
raise him above the plane of life where he now stands ; 
that will conquer those animal passions that now live, 
thrive and wrangle in his breast, and cause the immortal 
flower of love for all humanity to blossom therein, thus 
crowning man's every effort for good." 

"When I look far up the mountain of progress and 
behold those noble souls who have struggled for years 
in the dark pathways of earth life, ignorant of life and 
its mysteries, who, by earnest effort on their part, have 
risen above all those dark and false creeds of earth, and 
can now quaff the waters of knowledge from the river 
of life, and taste the luscious fruit that is plucked from 
the tree of life that puts forth its leaves, its blossoms, 
and its fruit of wisdom for the healing of the nations ; 

202 



when I see them using their earnest effort to lead man- 
kind in the path of progress, my heart becomes fired 
with a stronger zeal and I renew my pledge to continue 
to labor for the good of all mankind. But, perhaps, kind 
reader, you would ask what course is now proposed by 
the spirits in higher life to pursue? We answer: 'In 
the realms of spirit manifestations it will be the same, 
only there will be an increase of power during the next 
decade, and thousands of earth's inhabitants will receive 
and rejoice in a knowledge of spirit communion. Grad- 
ually those minds will unfold their power of thought and 
reason, and thus arise above all those erroneous creeds 
of past ages, for truth must take the place of error, be- 
fore mankind can be free to climb progression's mount. 
Of course, those organized enemies of our cause in spirit 
life, will not yet cease their efforts, but they will not con- 
trol all the spiritual speakers, though they hold too strong 
an influence over some.' " 

"The intellectual, the moral, the social, the religious, 
the political, and the spiritual conditions of mankind in 
earth life, all need to be governed more by the power 
of wisdom and justice than they now are, before the 
masses of mankind can enjoy the happy privilege of ris- 
ing to a plane above evil and vice. All those condi- 
tions of human unfoldment will be carefully guarded 
by those in spirit life, and as fast as possible the people 
on earth will be educated to arise above all wrong in 
every condition of life. And all this will have to be ac- 
complished through the growth and unfoldment of the 
human mind. But the most we can do is to lead all 
those minds that we can control, and influence them to 
exercise their influence to lead others to abandon all 



203 



error, all evil, all injustice, and seek to know the truth 
and do good, not evil." 

'Then there is another natural law, the science of 
which it is very important that mankind should better 
understand than they do now. It is the natural law of 
heredity. There is not anything more true in the realms 
of life, than that children inherit from their parents, and 
conditions surrounding the mother previous to the birth 
of the child, many of the angularities and conditions in 
its organism that in after years cause the child, or man 
or woman to become a criminal. And the children are 
thus born because their parents do not understand the 
law of influences that surround the mother and the un- 
born child ; because they were not aware that some little 
circumstance, in itself of no great importance, might 
stamp its impress in a deplorable condition up6n the 
individuality of the child that would cause the child 
untold suffering before it could be overcome. Such an 
impress has been, and can be stamped upon an unborn 
offspring that has marred, and can mar the mental abil- 
ity of the child, and though the child might become a man 
or woman in earth life, and even remain in the earth 
form until old age calls it to spirit life, yet those unfor- 
tunate prenatal conditions may mar the happiness of the 
spirit for many years after its transition to spirit life." 

"Ye fathers and mothers, ye sons and daughters, in 
earth life, we entreat you, as one loving humanity, as 
one who sadly deplores the present condition of social 
and moral life, that you study and seek to understand 
the natural heredity transmission of qualities from par- 
ent to offspring. Such knowledge may be of more real 
value to you than all the material wealth of the world, 

204 



for a well-formed and well-balanced mind, occupying 
a well-formed and well-balanced human organism cannot 
be computed by material wealth ; neither can an ill- 
formed mind be compensated by material wealth. Then 
seek to understand this law, and never dare to become 
a mother or father until you understand something of 
this law and its requirements to enable you to produce 
well-organized and harmonious children ; and your chil- 
dren and humanity on earth and in spirit life will bless 
you for your noble effort. " 

~"~"And now, kind reader, you who are a pilgrim trav- 
eler over the rough and thorny pathway of earth life, 
as I once was ; you who have followed my brief recital 
of some of my experiences in earth and spirit life, per- 
haps may catch some of my hopes, some of my aspira- 
tions, some of my impatient longings for the advance- 
ment and progress of the human race. I sincerely hope 
you may; and if such be the case, I should feel well 
recompensed for my labor. But whether such shall be 
the result or not, let me earnestly entreat you as a friend 
who loves all humanity with an undying love, to seek 
for more light, more knowledge ; whatever your religious 
convictions may be, seek earnestly for more light. If 
you are a believer in the more popular religious creeds 
of the present time, seek for more light, more knowl- 
edge, from nature's living fount of knowledge, for from 
thence flow the living waters of truth, which are for 
the healing of the nations." 

"Do not let the creeds and the dogmas of the past ages, 
chain your immortal mind in the dungeon of folly. 
Throw off the shackles of fear with which you are 
bound (if you are bound), step forward, join the grand 

205 



army of progress ; drink deep from the pure and celestial 
fountain of wisdom, and then join in the onward march 
of progress. Be good, virtuous, and true, and you will 
be happy. Obtain wisdom, and you can advance before 
kings; and the crown of good deeds, if justly placed 
upon your brow, will outdazzle the most brilliant crown 
that a haughty monarch ever wore.*" 

"If you, dear reader are a Spiritualist, let the grand 
truth of spiritual intercourse be your light by day, and 
your guiding star by night ; yet seek for more light, more 
truth, for infinity is filled with problems of truth that 
no minds have ever solved. Do not think that to know 
that you can hold communion with your departed 
friends, is all of Spiritualism that is necessary for you to 
know. Far from it; that is only a glimpse of the ante- 
room. Beyond that is the grand temple of knowledge, 
the portals of which are ever open to aspiring minds. 
Remember, that Spiritualism is the science of life in 
every department of life, and it is necessary that Spirit- 
ualists should enter that grand temple that fills all space, 
and there learn those higher lessons that lead up the 
grand pathway of progress, where sages, seeking for 
more wisdom, have often trod, and whose steps have 
only left their footprints upon the sands of time. Yea, 
it is the duty of every Spiritualist to be up and doing." 

"For error, with her greedy maw, 
Oft strikes truth with her huge paw; 
She fain would crush advancement down, 
For fear she'll lose her own false crown." 

From "Leaflets of Thought gathered from the Tree of 
Life." 



»06 



CHAPTER XXXI 

Surgeon W. S. Boyd A Materialist's. Experience — A Great Test 
and Its Results— A Greater Man Than Grover Cleveland — 
Sitting Aug. 18th, 1909. 

In the year of 1892, W. S. Boyd of Chicago, Illinois, 
surgeon for several railroads running into Chicago, 
having heard of Jim's mediumship, decided he would 
go and see if there was any truth in the reports that he 
had heard. Mr. Boyd was the owner of one of the 
largest private libraries in Chicago; he was a reader, a 
literary man, well educated, well posted, and stood high 
in his profession. He was also a great traveler. 

He reached Jim's house one Saturday evening and 
stated that he desired to witness the phenomena he had 
heard so much about. Jim gave him a sitting Saturday 
night and Sunday night. On Monday morning, when 
getting ready to leave, he said "Mr. Riley, I am not pre- 
pared to call this what you do. I will be back next 
Saturday." The next Saturday, he arrived with four 
other gentlemen ; they had sittings Saturday and Sunday 
evening. On Monday morning, Mr. Boyd said, "If this 
is a trick sleight-of-hand performance, you are better 
than Keller or Herman ; and if you are a magician, why 
are you working on a farm, when you could travel and 
give exhibitions, and make a great deal of money? I 

207 



reason in this way. If you were a trickster, you would 
not stay here, for if you are a sleight-of-hand man, you 
are the best I ever saw, and I have witnessed the best of 
them. I will be here next Saturday evening, again. I 
will investigate further." 

He came again the next Saturday evening, this time 
bringing six other gentlemen, and had sittings Saturday 
and Sunday nights. On Monday morning, he said to 
Jim, "Riley, I don't know what to think ; you have taken 
the starch all out of me. I will be back again next Sat- 
urday." The next Saturday he brought eight people 
with him had sittings Saturday and Sunday nights. On 
Monday morning he said, "Mr. Riley," taking Jim's 
hand, and with tears in his eyes, "my God, is it possible 
that I have been wrong all these years? I have been a 
materialist all my life. You have convinced me, with- 
out a shadow of a doubt of the Immortality of the Soul. 
Words cannot express my gratitude to you for so doing. 
What a grand truth this is ; and to think all these years 
I have been groping in the dark. I thank you from the 
bottom of my heart that I have found that which brings 
joy to my heart. When I go back to Chicago, I will go 
before any court of justice and swear that I have actually 
seen my father and mother and an old sweetheart. I 
recognized them as plainly as if I had met them on the 
streets of Chicago." He bade Jim good-bye, going home 
rejoicing, and knowing that his dear friends were not 
dead and that sooner or later he would join them in a 
world where sickness and sorrow is not known. The 
Doctor afterwards attended several of Jim's seances in 
Chicago. Within four or five years after the sittings at 
Jim's house, he passed to the other life. 

208 



At one of the sittings which Dr. Boyd attended, Mr. 
Clyde Goodrich was present. A spirit form appeared 
and said his name was Timothy Knox, and that he 
wanted to communicate with his daughters at Ludington, 
Michigan, and that he had passed over two years pre- 
vious at Ludington. He said, "If you will write to the 
proper authorities, you will find my daughters, and I 
can communicate with them." Dr. Boyd said that would 
be a good test. The next day Mr. Goodrich wrote to 
the Postmaster, asking him if he knew of such a person 
that had lived there, and had died about two years ago. 
He received a reply from him, stating that no such per- 
son had lived there at that time. At the next sitting, 
Mr. Goodrich asked Mr. Benton, Jim's control, why he 
allowed a spirit to come and make a statement so er- 
roneous, and put them to the trouble of writing, etc. 
The spirit answered the question himself. Timothy 
Knox wrote on the slate as follows : "When I was on 
the earth plane, I was considered a truthful man. Please 
write to the proper authorities, and you will find that I 
am telling the truth. I am very anxious to communicate 
with my daughters." 

Mr. Goodrich wrote again, this time to the Probate 
Judge at Ludington, and received a reply that there had 
at one time lived in the county, a man by the name of 
Timothy Knox, and that he had died twelve years ago. 
(You will notice that the spirit had said he had died 
two years ago. In spirit life, they have no idea of time, 
and possibly he may not have risen to the higher sphere 
for a number of years; for only he who has lived on 
earth the right kind of a life, goes to the home that he 

209 



himself has built by good deeds, kind acts, doing unto 
others that which he would want others to do unto him ; 
in fact by living the Golden Rule. Do right, live right, 
and you are all right, regardless of the teachings of 
priest, pope, or preacher; but I am digressing.) The 
Probate Judge said that Timothy Knox had two 
daughters living in Ludington at that time, and gave 
their names and addresses. Then Mr. Goodrich wrote 
to the Judge, thanking him and telling him why he de- 
sired the information. The Judge sent Mr. Goodrich's 
letter to one of the daughters, and she wrote Mr. Good- 
rich, requesting him to describe the spirit. He sent her 
a description and a reply came that it was an exact de- 
scription of her father, and that she was coming to Mr. 
Riley's at once. The daughter reached Jim's house, 
stayed four days, saw her father, received a message 
from him, and went home happy and satisfied of spirit 
return. 

Later on she wrote Jim to come to Ludington and 
give some sittings ; he went, and stayed there two weeks. 
While he was stopping at this lady's house, Capt. Reed, 
proprietor of the Reed House, and who had attended a 
sitting, came to see Jim one day and wanted him to 
come and take dinner with him. Jim said that he was 
much obliged to him, that the dinners he was getting at 
this lady's were all right, and he was satisfied. Capt. 
Reed said, "I will get you up a fine dinner; you can 
have anything you will order that the season affords. 
Just name it." Jim replied, "Well, I will take dinner. 
I would like a nice white fish, broiled." After dinner 



210 



Jim was enjoying a good cigar and his curiosity being 
aroused, asked the Captain what his object was in being 
so anxious to have him take dinner with him. The 
Captain replied, "Traveling men frequently bring up the 
subject of Spiritualism, and invariably your name is 
mentioned, and incidents are related by some of them 
which happened at some of your seances. I wanted your 
name on my register so that I could say you had stopped 
with me. I would rather have your name on my register, 
than Grover Cleveland's" (who was President at. that 
time) ; thus showing in what esteem Jim was held. 

Jim gave sittings in Chicago for a great many noted 
Divines. One of them said, "Mr. Riley, we are not 
thinking these days as we used to." Their names could 
be given, but it would not be the proper thing to do. Be- 
fore they found this truth, they had faith to believe 
what they preached. Now they have the facts, why do 
not the ministers who know these facts, give them to 
their congregations? The scheme of the priests has al- 
ways been to keep the dear people in ignorance. The 
Catholic priests know more about spirit phenomena than 
any other clergy, but they do not inform the members of 
their churches. 

Some eighteen years ago, the writer attended a sitting 
which four priests attended. They were disguised so 
that they would not be recognized. This was a trumpet 
circle, and they held long conversations with priests, I 
presume, that had passed to the other life. 

Jim was telling me about a minister of Cleveland, 
Ohio, who came to his home, stayed three days, saw and 
talked with his father, mother, and wife, shed tears, and 

211 



was overjoyed at meeting them. During his stay, in 
their talks the minister said something that displeased 
Jim. When he was bidding Jim good-bye, Jim said, 
"Damn you, when you go home, you won't say a word 
about what you have seen here, because the business you 
are engaged in is your bread and butter. Shame on 
you." The minister did not reply; he knew what Jim 
said was true. Page after page could be written of 
similar occurrences, but space will not permit. 

August 18th, 1909, Mrs. M. A. Stanley of Jackson, 
Michigan, and Mrs. C. Nelson, of Bellevue, Michigan, had 
telephoned Jim for a sitting which was accorded them. 
They reached Jim's house at 5 P. M. Mr. Kreitzer, of 
Chicago, telephoned, asking if he could come out to the 
sitting, and received permission to come. Mr. Kreitzer 
arrived at 9 P. M., and brought five others along with 
him. I judged from what I saw, and knowing how 
severely Jim was taxed at our sitting last evening, that 
there would not be much phenomena produced at this 
sitting; that they would not be able to make conditions 
so that the phenomena could be produced. Having been 
up until almost two A. M. the previous evening, and 
writing all day, I asked to be excused from attending 
the sitting. Jim entered the cabinet at 10:30 P. M., and 
they sang for thirty minutes, when he was not yet under 
control, and came out. At 1 1 :30, he went into the cabi- 
net again. Three forms materialized, and Mr. Kreitzer 
received a message on the slate; Mrs. Stanley and Mrs. 
Nelson also received messages. Mrs. Stanley received 
a very important one which she prized highly, and the 
nature of which I do not know. The slate was handed 



212 



out, and this was the message : "Dear brother, the forces 
are all broken up and we don't wish to work the medium 
in this element which is in the house; a word to the 
wise is sufficient. (Signed) Powell and Benton." 

This ended the sitting. Mr. Kreitzer is an earnest 
investigator, and will learn in time to be very careful 
and not to take with him to a sitting, people who are out 
for a jolly good time. If he wants to get good results, 
he will come alone again next week. 

Abraham Lincoln gives an account of his passing into 
spirit life, through the mediumship of Mrs. S. G. Horn. 
In the next world interviewed. 

"It is scarcely necessary to allude to the manner of 
my death, as it is well known to the public. The feel- 
ings that attended my 'taking off' affect me even now. 
There is something to the spirit, truly awful in being 
called from the scene of active life without a moment's 
warning, without opportunity to bid adieu to friends, to 
embrace long-tried companions — with not one brief mo- 
ment afforded for settling affairs of life, and transacting 
necessary business before a final departure from the 
shores of time. Mine was truly a sublime and awful 
exit! Not that I was entirely unprepared; I had long 
felt that a dark cloud overhung my sky and had fore- 
bodings of a strange, undefined calamity awaiting me; I 
felt it when I entered the theater at Washington. Some 
morbidly pious individuals who undertake to think for 
the good Lord, have considered my assassination as a 
judgment upon me for visiting a play house, but they 
will discover when they reach this port, as a good clergy- 
man remarked concerning the great disaster at the 

213 



Brooklyn Theater, that it matters not if a man leave 
for his eternal home from a theater, or from a church, 
providing he is prepared for the journey. I was pre- 
pared inasmuch as I believed that every public officer 
should hold his life in his hand, ready to lay it down 
in the nation's service; and from the moment that it 
was revealed to me that I was chosen to release the slave 
from bondage, from that moment, I felt that I was fore- 
doomed, and I was willing that my life should be sacri- 
ficed for that necessary accomplishment." 

"On that fatal night which ended with my life's trag- 
edy, when I fell, mortally wounded in the theater, and 
after a few moments of anguish — a brief time of men- 
tal despair, followed by unconsciousness — I awakened 
to find myself a spirit among spirits, and to realize that 
I was being actually crowned with a wreath of laurels 
by the hand of Washington, and that I was surrounded 
by an innumerable company of spirits 'which no man 
could number.' When I heard the grand vibrations of 
heavenly music surging through the air, filling my soul 
with an ecstatic bliss beyond mortal comprehension, then 
a weight was removed from my heart, and I experienced 
a happiness that I had not felt for ten long years. Spirits 
of this world are intimately connected with mortals, how 
intimately I never realized until I became a denizen of 
the Summerland. Then I found that the inhabitants 
of the shadowy realm were perfectly familiar with my 
life, and under the direction of a wise power they had 
raised me from obscurity, and had elected me to be the 
liberator of the southern slaves. They had foreseen the 
dangers that had encompassed me, and had used every 
effort to notify me of the plot in preparation to take my 
life. They had warned me again and again through me- 

214 



diums and my own clairvoyance. They knew the danger, 
but failed to avert it. They foresaw also the long train 
of evils that would follow the emancipation of the 
negroes — blighting the fair south and producing tem- 
porary destruction to bring about a future state of prog- 
ress." 

"But such is the order of life. The field must be 
mowed down before it can grow another and better kind 
of grain. A plantation looks bare and unsightly when 
the white cotton is stripped from the pod and sent to 
the looms ; but it returns again in the form of a beauti- 
ful fabric which will clothe multitudes. So I believe it 
will be with the South. She is like the stripped planta- 
tion now, but she will receive benefits untold in the form 
of renewed energy and freedom from debasing tyranny. 
It shall be no longer North and South, but one people. 
The Northerners must help the Southerners build their 
factories, lay their railroads, and strive in every way to 
aid them in reconstructing their fallen fortunes." (This 
communication was received during the year 1885. It 
is now forty-four years since the War closed, and the 
predictions made by Mr. Lincoln in this message are 
now true. Northern capital went south, northern people 
went south, and today, August 19th, 1909, the South is 
in better condition than it ever was.) 

"I wish to say a few words about my wife. It has 
given me great grief to see her treated as an insane per- 
son. Some thought I was not altogether right, because 
I had peculiar dreams and visions, and sometimes con- 
sulted mediums ; but I must inform them that those who 
scoff at these things are more insane than they who be- 
lieve in them. It is said that Spiritualism fills insane 

215 



asylums. If any cause could render a woman insane, 
the distressing events which attended and followed my 
sudden departure were sufficient to have made my wife 
so; but her belief in spirit communion upheld and 
sustained her, and it was only through a misunderstand- 
ing of spirit direction that she placed herself in a situa- 
tion, whereby she could have such a charge brought her. 
But we hastened to her rescue and inspired some recep- 
tive, noble minds to secure her release from a living tomb. 
I do not know that it is necessary for me to speak about 
the present difficulties of the country, or to applaud Gen- 
eral Grant's course, though I heartily do." 

"It is impossible to put this country back on its on- 
ward march of progress, but bad men will arise now 
and then and hold office. It is not always possible to» 
judge between a demagogue and a true lover of his 
country ; one who makes the loudest assertions, swears 
the strongest, promises the greatest, — that one will nat- 
urally attract the ignorant." (How true that is.) "Boys 
will always turn from the rising sun to look at a bon- 
fire. I remarked while I was in the White House, how 
much more show was made by the liveried servant, than 
by his master. Grant, who seems so quiet and befogged 
behind the smoke of his cigar, is a perfect master of the 
situation. Do not force him to don the livery and make 
a harlequin of himself, as he would do if he followed the 
advice of the thousands who beset him. A soldier is 
better with two legs, but if one has been cut off, he had 
better wear a wooden leg than none at all. The nation 
has lost one of its legs ; the South is trying to take away 
its wooden one, (that is the black votes) and make it 
run on one. I tell you it won't run long." 

216 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

Spirit Aphorisms — Mr. Burns, the Publisher of the "Next 
World" Interviewed — Wrote From England to the Medium 
Mrs. Horn, Asking if She Could Induce the Spirit of Ben- 
jamin Franklin to Inform the Public Why so Many Mediums 
Were Detected in Fraud and Why the Davenport Brothers 
had Degenerated Into Exhibitors of the Phenomena, at the 
Same Time Renouncing the Truths They had Once Fostered 
— Franklin Appeared, but Would Only Answer His Ques- 
tions by the Following Aphorisms From Spirit Land — Ex- 
perience of a Reporter of the "Kalamazoo Gazette." 

"It is a well-known axiom that fraud engenders fraud. 
The psychic force of a determined doubter calls up lying 
spirits. Go to a spirit circle, determined to catch the 
medium at fraud, and at that very seance the most relia- 
ble medium will act like the devil." (This won't hold 
good at Jim's seances though. He has had thousands of 
the worst skeptics at his sittings and has never had such 
results.) 

"Have the faith Christ had, and spirits will materialize 
in your pulpits and at your reading desk. Doubt them, 
and they will throw bells and tambourines at you, and 
say the medium did it." (I have witnessed such scenes 
as here described at seances' dark circle, but not at Jim's 
dark circle. — Author.) 

217 



"Do not attempt a spiritual friendship with spirits 
who would degrade you morally or spiritually. A man 
is known by the company he selects; and the mediums 
who fraternize with the spirits of Arabian Mountebanks 
and Egyptian Jugglers, should be received as exhibiting 
amusing phenomena which will demonstrate spiritual 
truths only as a trickish monkey demonstrates the origin 
of man." 



"The spirit who shouts your name through a trumpet 
and greets you familiarly, may tickle your vanity, but 
cannot convey to your mind grand thoughts or prepare 
you for a nobler life in spirit spheres." 



"Do not be discouraged when you find your pet me- 
dium to be a fraud; there have been false prophets in 
all ages of the world. It has taken a hundred years to 
develop electricity, the telegraph, telephone, and wireless 
telegraphy. Give us a hundred years to develop our 
spirit mediums." 



"The great statesmen and thinkers who have passed 
from earth do not entertain themselves by performing 
curious tricks to amuse and awaken the wonder of man- 
kind. It may be optional with you whether you com- 
municate with spirits by means of a medium or not, but 
it is a law of life that they should attend and influence 
you. On your actions and culture depends the class of 
spirits who attend you." (Like attracts like.) 

218 



"By shutting your eyes you cannot prevent the sun- 
light from warming you, neither by denouncing Spirit- 
ualism can you prevent spirits from influencing you." 

"A man who would go wrong under the noble teach- 
ings of Spiritualism, would have gone wrong as Judas 
did under the teachings of Christ." 

Experiences of a reporter of the "Kalamazoo Ga- 
zette." 

"Having waited forty days for our turn to come, four 
o'clock Sunday afternoon, October first, 1894, found us 
at the home of James Riley, the far-famed materialistic 
medium of Marcellus, Michigan, finding already there, 
parties from Nebraska, an ex-Mormon priest from Utah, 
and representatives from Benton Harbor and Kalama- 
zoo, Michigan, and also from Texas, all intent upon a 
solution of the all absorbing problem : 'If a man die, 
shall he live again ?' " 

"Mr. Riley lives on a farm of twenty acres, just three 
and one-half miles due west of the village of Marcellus, 
and which he owns and cultivates with the assistance of 
his three sons. The house is a plain, well-cared-for 
structure, built after the style so prevalent in rural 
architecture, — gable upright, and wing, the upright being 
architecture, — a gable upright, and wing, the upright be- 
sixteen by twenty-four, one and one-half stories high; 
the wing one story, fourteen by twenty-six, with the 
kitchen in the rear. The building stands about five rods 
off the road on the south side. The family consists of 
Mr. Riley and wife, three sons, and two daughters. 

219 



They have also a married daughter who resides in the 
immediate vicinity." 

"During the afternoon, Mr. Riley and wife were ab- 
sent from home, and it was very close to six o'clock in 
the evening before their return. Through the cheerful 
permission of the family, the interim was utilized by 
various ones assembled, in an examination of the apart- 
ments in which the great medium operates. Every inch 
of the room, sides, ceiling, and floor was carefully looked 
over, rubbed, dented, and thumped till each particular 
skeptic seemed satisfied that all was right, and really 
ashamed of their captiousness, in light of the fact that 
the medium produces forms frequently, and with the 
same facility in other houses. By the way, Mr.- Riley's 
standing proposition to investigators is substantially as 
follows : 'Take all the opportunity you desire to exam- 
ine the interior and exterior of the room in your own 
way, and in addition, if desired, remove the plastering, 
siding, and floor. I only ask the assurance that they be 
replaced in as good condition as prior to dissection.' " 

"About six in the evening, after handshaking and a 
few pleasant words with his new arrivals, he dropped 
into an easy-chair on the front porch, and divided 
his time equitably between pulling at a good cigar, and 
yielding up information about himself. Mr. Riley has 
lived upward of forty years in his present neighborhood, 
and is respected by his neighbors and fellow-townsmen, 
having the reputation of being upright, conscientious, 
charitable, and generous to a fault, and indeed, we saw 
no reason for modifying the estimate, but rather many 
evidences on which to confirm it. He is of Scotch and 



220 



Irish parentage, of good intelligence, rather dark com- 
plexion, and somewhat under medium height, weighing 
perhaps, one hundred and sixty pounds." 

"His account of how he came into possession of his 
wonderful gift, differs widely from the version which 
has been so extensively obtained, namely : that it was 
thrust upon him, unsolicited, at the termination of an 
almost fatal fit of sickness. 'On the other hand/ says 
the Marcellus wonder, 'I made the start in the field of 
investigation as the result, more than anything else, of a 
statement made in my hearing about eight years ago by 
the Hon. A. B. French, namely, "that under proper con- 
ditions, spiritualistic manifestations can be brought out 
in nearly every home." From that time, my wife and I 
sat at the table patiently nearly every night, consuming 
from one to four hours at a sitting for nearly six 
months before we were rewarded with a single rap. 
From faint raps, and far between, they grew louder and 
more frequent; then followed table-lifting, slate-writing, 
partial materialization, and lastly complete materializa- 
tion of disembodied spirits.* " 

Not a medium for Revenue. 

"After tea, we were invited to look over some cor- 
respondence which is indeed voluminous and bears wit- 
ness that he is held in high appreciation by Spiritualists 
all over the land, and is much sought after by noted 
men and women of all classes and callings. Another fact, 
gleaned from his correspondence, and which would be 
seasonable to mention here, is that he is in receipt of 
numerous alluring propositions to give traveling exhibi- 
tions of his wonderful and baffling power. Responsible 

221 



offers range as high as one hundred and twenty-five dol- 
lars per week and expenses, and still he continues to wear 
himself out for the solace and gratification of the throngs 
who visit him, at an average receipt of less than one 
dollar per day. His explanation to the inquiry, why he 
so persistently rejects so many tempting offers, was the 
apprehension that his control might promptly and hope- 
lessly desert him, should he attempt to prostitute his 
exalted gift to a money-making concern. The genuine 
frankness and simplicity of the man, together with his 
financial irresponsibility, must impress one at once and 
forcibly with his sincerity in that apprehension." 

Wabbling Divines. 

"An amusing and, to some, horrifying state of things 
is recorded in the record-book kept by Mr. Riley in 
which he enters the names of those who visit him. The 
names of clergymen appear by the scores, and Kalamazoo 
contributes some to the list. There is every reason to 
believe that a majority of them attempt to go quietly and 
unnoticed to Riley's, while many of them request that 
their visits be kept a secret." 

Inspection of the Room. 

"At precisely nine o'clock all present were invited to 
make a final inspection of the room in which the medium 
was to sit; the invitation was responded to by nearly 
everyone. The closet contained nothing except two or 
three child's garments which were examined and left 
hanging. The windows are so constructed that only the 
lower sash slides up and down, and that was covered 
with mosquito netting which is intended to be fly-proof, 
being tacked two inches apart, with the heads of the 

222 



tacks liberally rusted. In addition to faithful catches on 
the lower sash, the meeting rails were securely sealed 
together with strips of paper." 

Preparing for Materialization of Forms. 

"All being satisfied that so far as they could carry 
their investigations there were no contrivances connected 
with the room to facilitate the medium, the latter was 
seated in a wood seat chair which was placed about two 
feet inside the room, holding in each hand as much 
wheat flour as he could successfully grip. The company 
was arranged in a semi-circle, the furthest point being, 
perhaps ten feet from the door. It consisted of the ex- 
priest referred to, a gentleman from Benton Harbor, two 
ladies from Kalamazoo, two ladies from Texas, Mrs. 
Riley, and the representative of the "Gazette." The 
lamp in the parlor where the forms were to appear, could 
hardly be said to have been at full blaze; still there was 
sufficient light to enable one to readily recognize a liv- 
ing friend or acquaintance, — especially if he were not 
owing him money. 

What art thou that usurpest this time of night? 

"After a season of waiting of perhaps twenty minutes 
or half an hour at the outside limit, a slight waving 
movement of the dark curtains was plainly discernible, 
which was quickly followed by the appearance of a long 
white hand; then gently and steadily parting, exposed 
to full view the perfectly lifelike form of a very tall, 
portly man, somewhat past middle age ; he filled the door- 
way for at least ten seconds. The apparition made a 
very graceful bow to the circle, followed by a significant 
gesture of the right hand ; then it steadily sank through 



the floor, vanishing in full and unmistakable view of the 
entire circle. The form was recognized by Mrs. Riley 
as that of Mr. Benton, the regular control of the me- 
dium." 

"Very shortly after his departure, perhaps not more 
than three minutes intervening, there appeared and de- 
parted in much the same way, the form of a young man 
which was not at that time recognized. The third form 
appearing was that of a little old man, bent over and 
tottering with years. He came first at the side of the cur- 
tain, and was not fully recognized till after his retreat, 
but on request, hobbled out with great exertion, pound- 
ing his way along with a big hickory cane. This time he 
came out clear of the door, and was recognized to a cer- 
tainty by a lady from Texas as being her grandfather. 
The last fifteen years of his life, this old gentleman, as 
stated by the lady, was afflicted with lameness of some 
sort, and navigated himself with a similar cane. By 
the way, the lady is an active member of the Methodist 
Church, and was at the seance under protest, so, of 
course, the "Gazette" will not mention she was caught at 
Riley's." 

"The next materialization was readily recognized by 
the writer as that of his brother who died at the age 
of thirty-four years. He was recognized by others pres- 
ent beyond all possibility of doubt. He was dressed in 
a neat-fitting black suit, low-cut vest, white shirt and 
collar, and black tie. His first appearance was only 
momentary, the opening in the curtain exposing the form 
down to the waist. The form re-appeared almost im- 
mediately after withdrawing, and, standing erect and 

224 



lifelike in the passage, saluted his mother with the right 
hand in a way that was decidedly impressive. Upon 
the mother advancing toward him unbidden, he with- 
drew almost instantly to the shield of the curtain, re- 
maining away but a short time, then walking out fully 
three feet clear of the door, and according to Mrs. Riley's 
interpretation, sought to shake hands with his mother. 
That pleasure was cheerfully accorded, it being a vigor- 
ous handshake on the part of both, and while in the act, 
the materialization drew her very nearly through the 
door, then, relinquishing the hold, settled to the floor, 
disappearing at her feet. An important circumstance 
connected with this dematerialization is that Mrs. Riley, 
to relieve the discomfort of the medium, exposed him to 
view almost simultaneously with it, not more than five 
seconds intervening, and there he sat in his usual posi- 
tion, faithfully gripping the two handfuls of flour." 

Other forms identified. 

"The gentleman from Benton Harbor recognized his 
wife and a nephew as they came out. Perhaps the most 
astonishing and convincing demonstration of the evening 
was the unceremonious and startling issuing forth from 
the darkened cabinet of what was accepted to be the 
father of one of the ladies of Kalamazoo. He was fully 
six feet, two inches tall, of heavy build, jet-black hair 
and chin whiskers, his dress being a faultless-fitting suit 
of black. There was no preliminary waving and hitch- 
ing of the curtains, as was the case with preceding 
comers, but this giant form strode out with the pomp 
of a Napoleon, and halting at a point past half-way be- 
tween the most distant part of the door, and the circle, 

225 



handed the lady a music box which was left in the room 
at the opening of the seance. Unlike the disappearance 
of preceding forms, just before regaining the door, this 
one was divided at the waist, the disintegrating process 
melting upward and downward till all was consumed." 

Thomas Jefferson. 

"The next surprise the circle was treated to was the 
protrusion of a long arm from the curtain divide, hold- 
ing out a slate on which was announced the near-com- 
ing of Thomas Jefferson. Before the slate message 
could scarcely be read, there appeared at the opening 
what purported to be the materialized form of the his- 
toric Jefferson, who, in clever oratorical style delivered 
the following: 'My countrymen, — my sympathy goes 
out to you all. They, your rulers, are perverting your 
constitution.-' The writer, not having a personal ac- 
quaintance with the great statesman, could scarcely tes- 
tify to his identity, though he is willing to affirm a con- 
siderable resemblance of the apparition to the pictures 
of the strict constructionist, now extant. However that 
may be, or whether it were a 'spirit of health or goblin 
damned/ there is a dangerous probability that it spoke 
the truth." 

Seance Closes. 

"At precisely 12 :30 the seance was brought to a close, 
fourteen different forms, male and female, having ap- 
peared, each different from the other, and all different 
from the medium, all differently dressed ; and a majority 
of them were recognized as exact representations of 
departed friends as absolutely as it is within the power 
of one human being to recognize another. With no 

226 



means of deception which ingenuity, with all the oppor- 
tunity that can be asked or offered, has been able to 
detect or intelligently suggest, the question looms up to 
us, 'What is it ?' " 

"The witnesses to this remarkable phenomena can be 
divided into two classes, the one saying emphatically, 
they are materialized spirits ; the other saying, 'I do not 
know what to make of it;' while a large percentage of 
those that have never seen it, can tell us all about it. 
In reply to the question, how far he was willing to sub- 
mit to tests, the medium announced that his house can 
be examined to the extent of tearing it down, and re- 
building; he will wear clothes furnished him; the house 
may be guarded by forty men with guns, and those fear- 
ful of hypnotism can come after the seance begins and 
look through the windows and the same result will fol- 
low. Hypnotism is very much relied upon by objectors 
as furnishing an adequate solution of the puzzling 
phenomena. They are often asserting that those visit- 
ing Riley are made to think they see what they do not 
see. With the medium under the foregoing conditions, 
it would seem to be about the only solution that could 
be made available." 

"Still the writer would prefer to adopt the following 
reasoning for himself, namely: Those having visited 
Riley deny invariably having been hypnotized. There- 
fore, if they were hypnotized, they didn't know it. If a 
man can be hypnotized at a particular time, and not know 
it, he cannot doubt that he is hypnotized all the time, and, 
hypnotized all the time, he cannot assert that he was 
hypnotized at a particular time. So when the writer is 

227 



charged with being hypnotized at Riley's he can come 
back at the accuser with the retort that he is hypnotized 
and doesn't know what he is asserting; that he only 
thinks the writer hypnotized, and according to his own 
argument he doesn't know that he is, and it is good for 
his comfort that he doesn't." 

The idea claimed by a good many that the sitters are 
hypnotized is the veriest nonsense. The idea that a cir- 
cle of fifteen or twenty people are under that influence ; 
how will such people account for the beautiful messages 
received from their friends in spirit life, on the slates? 
Are the slates hypnotized, too? The idea is ridiculous. 



228 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

Jim's Control, Mr. Benton, Instructs Him in Carpentering when 
Building His House — Dark Circle — Spirit Lifts the Writer 
Off the Floor, Chair and All— Sitting at Detroit at Which a 
Doctor Was Convinced That Jim Was Genuine. 

In the year of 1888, Jim had received his pension; he 
decided that he would tear down the old log house and 
build a better one. He had never done any carpenter 
work, and it was quite an undertaking for him, but on 
account of money matters, he thought he would attempt 
it anyway. During the construction of the house, and 
before he commenced it, Mr. Benton assisted him in 
every way possible at the sittings. Every few evenings, 
Mr. Benton would write on the slate, just how Jim 
should proceed with the work. One day he was putting 
on the siding on the west side of the house up to the 
window; when he reached the window-sill it was not 
level and he could not make it fit ; he got out of humor 
and threw his hammer down and quit and had about 
decided to get a carpenter to do the work, but that night 
at a sitting Mr. Benton wrote on the slate and said, that 
the trouble was he had forgotten to cut off the window- 
sill jamb an inch ; to do that and it would be level. 

The company at the sitting went out and examined, 
and found that Mr. Benton was correct. Ever after that 



when Jim did not understand just what to do, he con- 
sulted Mr. Benton and he built the house with his, Mr. 
Benton's, assistance. Mr. Benton had been engaged in 
mining in California and he evidently knew something 
about carpenter work, for the house is well-planned and 
well-built under the direction of the spirit of Mr. Ben- 
ton. (And some people say, "What good does it do 
you to communicate with your friends in spirit?" In 
reply I would say that my relatives and friends who have 
passed to the other life are just as dear to me now, as 
they were when on earth, and they help us whenever they 
can. I knoiu they have assisted me. Every person on 
earth has his guiding spirit, either for good or evil.) 

Dark Circle. Spirit lifts the writer off the floor, chair 
and all. 

August 21st, 1909. After supper Jim suggested that 
we have a dark sitting. He thoroughly enjoys these sit- 
tings for at these are the only manifestations that he can 
witness. So to the parlor we went and gathered around 
a stand — four of us. We sang about two minutes when 
we had the manifestations that have been mentioned in 
a previous chapter. The lights were fine, and Daisy, 
Mrs. Riley's control, made the light so strong that we 
could see her little hand. After this, Jim said to me, 
"Do you feel some one standing by your side ?" I said, 
"Yes, he is pressing against my shoulder and side." He 
stood between Jim and myself. Suddenly my chair 
began to rise, and I was afraid they would take me to 
the ceiling, so I jumped off the chair. This ended the 
sitting. I would state that my weight is one hundred 
and seventy-five pounds. Weight does not count much 

230 



with them, for they have been known to lift pianos with 
people sitting on them. Abraham Lincoln held sittings 
in the White House once a week, and a portion of the 
cabinet attended the sittings. Nettie Maynard was the 
medium. Mr. Lincoln always knew the result of a battle 
before the telegraph gave the news. At one of their 
sittings, the piano was raised off the floor. 

To-day Jim received a 'phone message from Diamond 
Lake, that a party of resorters from Chicago wished to 
have a sitting to-morrow evening, the twenty-second. He 
has granted their request. This sitting will be the last 
one I will attend this trip, and I hope we will get some- 
thing interesting to give the readers of this book. 

Things Jim has never done. 

1. Never advertised his mediumistic abilities; has 
not even had a card printed, nor had a line of adver- 
tising. 

2. Never allowed his name to be announced from the 
rostrum at a camp meeting, saying that he was on the 
ground. 

3. Never invited anyone to come to his sittings. 

4. Never promised anyone results at a sitting; al- 
ways says : "We will see what we can get. The great 
results at his seances are what has advertised him all over 
the United States and a portion of Europe. 

5. He has never been accused of producing fraudu- 
lent manifestations, and has given seances under all 
manner of test conditions ; he goes anywhere alone with 
nothing on his person but the clothes he has on his back. 

231 



He was telling me that several years ago when he 
was in Detroit, a gentleman called on him and stated 
that there was a party of his friends who were investi- 
gating, and desired that he would give them a sitting. 
They had read an account of his wonderful manifesta- 
tions in the Detroit paper, and were interested. Jim gave 
them an evening. He was told where to go, out on Jef- 
ferson Avenue to a fine residence. The next day Jim 
was telling a Spiritualist where he was going that even- 
ing. The Spiritualist told him that they were a lot of 
skeptics and that they would probably grab a form, and 
that would be almost death to him. Jim said, "I am 
going. I have faith in Mr. Benton that he will take care 
of me under any and all circumstances. I presume 
they have been having experiences with frauds. Well, 
I will show them that I am no fraud." 

Alone he went to the residence. They gave him a 
large china closet for a cabinet, which contained a large 
amount of china. Jim said, "If some of that china is 
broken, you must not blame me, for I won't be responsible 
for any damage done." They said, "Do you think they 
would break any of it?" Jim replied, "There is no tell- 
ing what they will do." (The facts in the case were that 
Jim was impressed with just that kind of feeling that 
this party was looking for fraud, and there was no telling 
what they, the Spirits, would do to the china.) The 
china was removed from the cabinet. 

When Jim entered the cabinet he noticed a certain 
doctor took a front seat near the cabinet; his attitude 
indicated that he was ready to jump and seize the form 
when it made its appearance. One form appeared, — 

232 



a young man, dripping with water. He had been 
drowned a few weeks previous and of course was recog- 
nized by his mother who was among the sitters. Mr. 
Benton brought Jim out from under control after the 
first form materialized. After a few minutes, he again 
went into the cabinet; again he noticed this doctor in 
the same position, and reasoned that if he went under 
control, this doctor would grab some form that was not 
known, thinking perhaps that it was himself, and he 
really did not know what to do, to proceed with the seance 
or not; he of course, was not under control. All at 
once, he was impressed by Mr. Benton to walk out of 
the cabinet, and let this doctor grab him. 

Jim walked out and the doctor made for him; Jim 
gave him one blow, and down he went. Jim said, "What 
did you want to take hold of me for? I came out for a 
drink of water." Jim expected trouble, but the sitters 
all stood by him. He said to the doctor, "You intended 
to grab the first form that came out of the cabinet, which 
would have injured me. Take your seat like a gentle- 
man ; get such thoughts out of your mind. The forms 
that come out of this cabinet are the spirits of your 
friends. I do not do any fraudulent work, as you will 
find out before the sitting is over." Jim went into the 
cabinet again, the manifestations were fine, a great many 
forms materialized, and all were recognized. Jim was 
congratulated by all, and the doctor came up to him 
and said, "Mr. Riley, I owe you an apology, and I am 
very sorry for what I have done ; I have witnessed genu- 
ine materializations to-night." Jim accepted the doctor's 
apology and said, "I guess you felt genuine materializa- 

233 



tion, too." Jim wasn't feeling any too good towards him. 
Jim is so honest in all his works, if anyone insinuates 
anything bordering on fraud in the phenomena produced 
through his mediumship, they will get into trouble. 

The sitting just related was the only one he ever had 
at which any trouble occurred. I can safely say, that of 
the thousands who have attended Jim's sittings, not one 
would insinuate that he has ever done one fraudulent 
act; there has never been one breath of suspicion against 
honest Jim. Hundreds of letters are received from all 
parts of the country, with one dollar enclosed, and ques- 
tions sealed up, directed to their friends. Jim lays them 
on the bed during a sitting. If Mr. Benton can get the 
information, it is sent to the writer; if not, the money 
and questions are returned to the sender. August 4th, 
1909, Jim received a letter containing one dollar and 
questions from Oklahoma ; Mr. Benton told Jim to return 
the money to the lady. One year, Jim informs me, he 
returned one hundred letters containing one dollar each, 
and questions, while hundreds were answered. This 
shows again the honesty of Mr. Benton and his medium. 
Mr. Benton wishes Jim to receive sufficient money from 
his mediumship to live, and to get it honestly. 



2H4 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

A Woman is Led to a Large Sum of Money by a Spirit Child- 
Mrs. F. W. Guilliford Finds Buried Treasure at Chattanooga, 
Tenn. — Martha, Her Psychic Control, Directs Her to Spot 
She Had Never Seen, Would Return the Money to Owner 
if He Could be Found. 

"W. J. Clark, 499 North Fifty-second Avenue, Chi- 
cago, and his sister, Mrs. Frank W. Guilliford, wife of 
the Genl. Night Supt. of Swift and Co., Chicago Pack- 
ing Plant, returned yesterday from Chattanooga, Ten- 
nesee, bringing a package containing a large roll of 
currency and a quantity of gold coin they had found in a 
lonely spot in the outskirts of that city, buried under- 
neath a huge, flat stone. The fear that some needy per- 
son would be the loser of his rightful property by her 
possession of this money, induced Mrs. Guilliford and 
her brother to make public, last night, the fact that they 
had found it." 

Guided by Spirit "Martha." 

"Mrs. Guilliford and her brother told a strange story. 
They said the journey of one thousand miles was made 
because of the promptings of a little colored child named 
Martha, who is known only in psychic or spirit world. 
This spirit child, Mrs. Guilliford says, guided her to the 
spot where the money was found. The story told by 

235 



Mrs. Guilliford is almost without parallel in the history 
of psychic phenomena; nothing more remarkable of its 
kind has ever been recorded in the annals of the Society 
for Psychic Research, whose business is for the investi- 
gation of the occult phenomena." (The writer knows 
of many similar instances.) 

Husband corroborates the story. 

"The story of Mrs. Guilliford's trip was confirmed 
by her husband. He accepts the story of her strange 
guidance as true. Mr. Clark, her brother, is a conductor 
on the Grand Trunk Railway, and had told many of the 
employees of the road that his sister had received a 
strange communication from the psychic world, telling 
where the money was hidden. He said his sister could 
go into a trance and summon the spirit of a young girl 
whom she called Martha. This spirit promised Mrs. 
Guilliford to guide her footsteps to the scene of the 
buried treasure. Mrs. Guilliford and her brother have 
been residents of Austin for fifteen years. The Guilliford 
home is one of the prettiest in the suburbs." 

"The story as told by Mrs. Guilliford last night is as 
follows : 

" 'Three years ago, Martha came to me one day and told 
me that she knew where a whole lot of money was buried. 
She has told me so many things that were true, that I 
would believe almost anything she said, but the story 
of a great sum of buried money was so improbable that 
I could not credit it. Martha was persistent, however, 
and told me time and again that I ought to go and get it. 

236 



She said the money was buried under a big flat rock, on 
the outskirts of Chattanooga, Tennessee. The place 
was to be reached by a street car that ran out of the city 
and crossed a river on a high bridge. She told me that 
if I would go, she would guide me. I told my brother 
about ft, but he did not think there was anything in the 
tale. Half a dozen times during 1906 and '07 my little 
friend Martha came and urged me to go after the money. 
Finally my brother began to be interested in the matter 
and talked with several of his friends about it. One 
man, W. M. Wilbur, 5146 Turner Avenue, offered to pay 
our expenses if we would go down to Chattanooga and 
search for the money. This summer Martha has been 
most impatient with us. Early in August she told me 
that some people were going to build near the place 
where the money was buried, and that if I did not go 
after it immediately the money might be found by some 
of the workmen.' 

" 'When I told this to my brother, he decided that we 
ought to go at once. We left here Saturday, August 
22nd, and arrived in Chattanooga early Monday morn- 
ing, after stopping off a day at Cincinnati with friends. 
We reached the city about 7 :30 A. M., and as neither 
of us had ever been in the place before, we inquired of 
a man at the station if any car line went over a high 
bridge across a river into a suburb. He told us to take 
the Market St. car. We did not wait to have breakfast 
but went immediately to the car. Sure enough, the 
car line ran out over a high bridge. All the way out, I 
was looking for Martha ; I wanted her to tell me where 
to get off. Finally, the car stopped at a golf ground 

237 



near a little place called Hill City. We got out and 
waited for a few minutes, and when the car started back, 
we got in. We had not ridden more than half a mile 
before I saw Martha ; she was standing near the track at 
the intersection of a cross road, and indicated that she 
wanted us to get off.' 

" 'We signaled to the conductor and he stopped the car 
and we got off and went back to where Martha was 
standing. As soon as we came up to her, she turned 
and went across a little piece of ground and up a high 
red-clay bank. We followed her closely ; arriving at 
the top of the bank, she started off across a field, stop- 
ping to examine the stones in her path. I went on and 
turned over one big stone, but found nothing under it. 
I took my brother's umbrella and poked around in the 
dirt but found nothing. I then noticed Martha had 
stopped at a stone a little distance ahead, and was mo- 
tioning for me to come up to her. I went, and found 
her standing beside a flat stone. We quickly turned the 
stone over and found a bunch of leaves under it. With 
the umbrella I pushed them aside, and there under them 
was a package, carefully wrapped m tinfoil. When my 
brother saw it, he picked it up and put it in his pocket 
without opening it; we both felt like we were stealing. 
In a few minutes another car came along, and we went 
back to the city. While at breakfast, my brother opened 
the package. My ! it made my head whirl to see those 
big bills in the roll of greenbacks. He put the money 
away that night. We went to the Ray Springs Hotel and 
stayed over night.' " 

"Mr. Clark was as reluctant to discuss the case as was 



238 






his sister, but said that he would like to return the money 
to the owner if he could be found and could prove his 
property. 'Martha told my sister while we were in Chat- 
tanooga about the man who buried the money. She de- 
scribed him as an old man, bent with age, and about sev- 
enty years old, with white hair and mustache. When 
he buried the money, he was roughly dressed.' ' : 

•'When Mrs. Gui'lliford and her brother arrived in 
Chicago yesterday, after their trip, they agreed that it 
would not be right to keep the money without first giving 
the rightful owner a chance to claim it. They refused to 
tell the amount of the treasure, but showed two of the 
currency notes. They were fifty dollar notes ; one was 
on the Bristol County National Bank of Taunton, Massa- 
chusetts, series of 1902, issued January 4th, 1905, signed 
by S. S. Cushman, President, and A. H. Tetlow, Cashier. 
The note bears the vignette of John Sherman. The 
other note was a fifty dollar gold certificate. The money 
showed the marks of the damp place in which it hlad 
been hidden. The bills and the package in which they 
were enclosed were covered with mould. The ink of the 
signatures had been blurred by the dampness, but could 
easily be deciphered on careful examination. The paper 
was so frail that the utmost care was required in hand- 
ling it." 

"Mrs. Guilliford is not a member of any Spiritualist 
or psychic society; she says she resisted the communica- 
tion from the spirit world a long time, but finally gave in 
and obeyed instructions occultly given her. She is not 
acquainted with the deeper investigations made by scien- 
tific men, who have sought to explain the phenomena of 

239 



the spirit world of the mediums. On former occasions 
she has been guided to sums of money, but never before 
to so large a sum. ,, 

"At the Dearborn railway station, employees of the 
Grand Trunk Ry. discussed the strange find made by 
Conductor Clark. The most implicit faith was expressed 
in his integrity. 'I've known Dad Clark for twenty 
years, and I'll swear by what he says/ declared a loyal 
baggageman. 'It's a funny story, but it goes with me 
when it comes from Clark/ said another. Clark's jour- 
ney and return had been carefully watched by those 
employees who had been taken into his confidence." 

(Published in The Chicago Inter Ocean, Sept. 5th, 
1908.) 

The writer would add that Mr. Riley is personally ac- 
quainted with Mrs. Guilliford and her brother, Mr. 
Clark. On their return from Chattanooga, they came to 
Jim's house and he saw the roll of money as described 
by the reporter of the Inter Ocean. Facts, such as these, 
cannot be denied. Of course, it is hard for the skeptic 
to believe ; the only thing for him to do is to go and wit- 
ness the phenomena himself. Seeing is believing. 



240 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

Bishop Samuel Fallows, of the Reformed Episcopal Church, Says 
He Believes in Spiritualism — Prelate Says Science and the 
Bible Prove That the Dead Return; Calls it immortalism — 
Fine Manifestations Sept. 3rd and 4th, 1909— O. W. Bar- 
nard's Experience at Jim's, Dec. 29th, 1903 — Secular Paper 
Sends a Report to Jim — Reports the People Wild Over 
Riley. 

Chicago, August 30, 1909. 

A belief in a communication with the spirits of the 
departed, which he calls "Immortalism" has been an- 
nounced by Bishop Samuel Fallows of the Reformed 
Episcopal Church. He says such a belief is not only 
taught in the Bible, but has been proved by psychic re- 
search. Bishop Fallows denounced the term Spiritual- 
ism as repugnant because of the odium attached to it. 
"This word," he said, "confusedly used, has alienated 
multitudes in the Christian Church. The church has thus 
fought shy of the revelation which a true, scientific 
psychical investigation has clearly made known regard- 
ing our immortality. The church ought boldly and con- 
tinuously to re-affirm the old Bible truth of the influence 
of the spiritual world." 

The odium attached to the word Spiritualism was 
caused by fraudulent mediums, the object being so great 
to make money out of it. He speaks of multitudes being 

241 



alienated from the church, which is a fact. The investi- 
gator finds that he does live again ; he gets absolute facts. 
All his life he had faith to believe that he lived again; 
his relatives and friends whom he supposed were dead 
and could not communicate with him, were alive and in 
a beautiful world where sickness, sorrow and death were 
not known. The investigator tells his minister about it, 
and the minister says, "Dear brother, don't have anything 
to do with Spiritualism ; it is the work of the devil." The 
investigator continues to investigate, and his friends in 
the spirit world tell him that it is not the work of the 
devil, and they tell him to live right, do right, treat his 
fellow men right, and he is all right. 

The churches have done a vast amount of good, and 
will continue to do good ; as Bishop Fallows says, "The 
church ought to re-affirm the old Bible truth of the in- 
fluence of the spiritual world. Many ministers, to-day, 
are feeling its influence, for quite often a minister is 
influenced and controlled by those in the spirit world, and 
his sermon is along spiritualistic lines, and then he is 
expelled from the church for heresy, and he goes to the 
Spiritualist's camp. The time is coming when the church 
will acknowledge that we can communicate with the so- 
called dead. Many ministers whom I know have at- 
tended sittings, and have the evidence of spirit return ; 
but, of course, they do not tell their congregation. I 
will let the reader answer why they do not tell them. 

September 3d, 1909. At a sitting there were present 
a Mr. Dickman, Mrs. Riley, and her mother. After 
singing a hymn a form parted the curtains and George 
Riley, brother of the medium, appeared and reaching 

242 



out his hand to a vase of paper flowers on a stand, took 
them and carried them inside the little bedroom where 
the medium was entranced. We could hear the rustling 
of the flowers as he separated them; soon he parted the 
curtains and handed Mr. Dickman two white roses, say- 
ing in a plainly audible voice, "Take these home to your 
wife." Then, going inside the curtains, he appeared, 
handing Mrs. Riley three roses ; then Mrs. Riley's mother 
was called to the curtain, and her husband who has been 
in spirit life a few years, handed her a single red rose. 
Mr. Benton, Jim's control, then spoke, saying, "The con- 
ditions are so beautiful this evening, the friends were 
able to hand out the flowers." 

Mr. Dickman, Mrs. Riley, and her mother received 
messages on the slates. We could hear Mr. Benton talk- 
ing to Mrs. Riley's father who was trying to materialize 
to build up his spirit form. The curtains waved to and 
fro as he said, "Brother March, do not get excited, and 
you can show yourself." Then to Mrs. Riley he said, 
"Your father is glad your mother has come back here 
to live ; it makes him happy, but he is too excited to show 
himself to-night." 

Jim came out of the bedroom for a few minutes, then 
going back, we sang softly. Mr. Benton spoke, saying, 
"Keep up that vibration and Dr. Kirshner, Mr. Dick- 
man's control, will come out and get the music box." 
We did as requested, and soon a form appeared, stepped 
out into the room to the stand, picked up the heavy- 
music box, held it on the palm of his right hand, and 
stepped inside the bedroom. This was a beautiful sight, 
and would have to be witnessed to be fully appreciated. 

243 



The little circle of sitters held their breath, and looked 
on in wonder; this quite exhausted the medium. 

September 4th, 1909. Sitting this evening were all 
young people ; two gentlemen, strangers to the phenomena 
and to the sitters, being from Mississippi, and one from 
Virginia. They saw some of their relatives, and received 
messages from them, and were delighted to meet their 
loved ones. When bidding Jim good-bye, they wanted to 
know when they could come again, with not a doubt of 
spirit return. Seeing is believing. 

O. W. Barnard's experience at Jim's. 

"Having occasion to make a short tour through Michi- 
gan, I decided the trip would afford an opportunity to 
visit the celebrated medium for the phase known as ma- 
terialization, James W. Riley, otherwise known as Far- 
mer Riley. So securing a livery rig at Lawton on the 
Michigan Central Ry., December 29th, 1893, I was driven 
across the country to Marcellus, Michigan, on the Grand 
Trunk Ry. I had written him from Chicago for a date, 
requesting an answer to be sent to Lawton, where I ex- 
pected to remain a few days on business; but not re- 
ceiving a response, proceeded as stated above, and on 
arriving at Marcellus at four P. M., found on inquiry 
that Mr. Riley was in town. Failing to find him, I pro- 
ceeded on foot to his home, three and one-half miles 
due west, where I arrived just in the gloaming and was 
made welcome by his wife; but the medium soon ar- 
rived, when we entered into a friendly social chat." 

"Mr. Riley is rather below medium stature, a light 
brunette in complexion, of Scotch and Irish parentage, 

244 



and weighing perhaps one hundred and sixty pounds. 
He has always been a common laborer or farmer, has 
fair intelligence, limited education, and is liberal to a 
fault. He lives on his farm of twenty acres, which is 
mortgaged ; and that's what grieves him ; he is the father 
of eight children, five of whom live with him. He has 
been a medium ten years; became developed at the end 
of six months' regular sitting with his family." 

"The cabinet is simply a bedroom off the parlor in 
which the writer slept after the seance. At the head of 
the door, entering the bedroom from the parlor, are 
tacked two strips of brown cotton flannel, one reaching 
over the other a little in the middle, the lower ends fast- 
ened together and resting on the floor, — 'only this and 
nothing more.' The seance does not begin until the me- 
dium is prompted by his control, Mr. Benton, which on 
this occasion was 9 :20. He took his seat on a common 
wooden-bottomed chair, just to the left of the door, with 
his elbows on his knees, and the top of his head resting 
against the wall. When the curtain was taken down 
from the nail on the right side of the door, and fitted 
snugly up at the bottom, the light was turned down some, 
but left sufficiently high to see coarse writing on the 
slates, or the time by the watch, when held near it. A 
number of slates had been placed on the bed which 
stands behind the medium." 

"The circle engaged in the usual singing. In about 
twenty minutes the curtain became agitated, being vi- 
brated and shaken considerably, when a man parted the 
curtain and stood in the doorway, holding a slate in his 
hand ; he was a rather heavy-set man, with pointed iron- 

245 



gray chin whiskers, and was neatly dressed. Then it 
was ascertained that the slate was for Minnie, Mr. 
Riley's six-year-old daughter, who was seated on her 
mother's lap, and who ran and took the slate. On it 
was written a message to her from her little sister, Elsie, 
by 'Jackson,' who it seems was an acquaintance of the 
family, and the first spirit to appear. And so they came, 
either stepping out into the room, or standing in the 
doorway. The strongest one that came seemed about 
thirty, was tall and good looking; he came out of the 
cabinet, carrying in his hands the music box which had 
been wound up and placed on the bed, and which now 
was playing. He signified that it was I he wanted. So 
I stepped forward, when he handed me the box, and im- 
mediately turned around and entered the cabinet. Mrs. 
Riley came and took the box and placed it on the table, 
five or six feet from the curtain and said she'd stop it 
playing. She hadn't more than taken her hands off, when 
the spirit strode out, strong and bold, picked up the box, 
turned suddenly round, and carried it back into the room. 
At the end of an hour, Mr. Benton appeared and stood 
in the doorway, and spoke in an audible voice, saying, 
'We will have to rest the medium.' When Mrs. Riley 
lifted the curtain, the medium came out, drank milk and 
ate something, and chatted with his visitors nearly an 
hour before returning to the cabinet. He took three of 
these intervals of rest during the seance. ,, 

"Probably three-fourths of those appearing were rec- 
ognized by different members of the circle; they were 
young and old of both sexes ; many messages were writ- 
ten on slates, and handed out ; some were in answer to 

246 



questions, asked on the slates by members of the circle. 
Before the slates were placed on the bed, many questions 
admitting of a direct answer, 'Yes' or 'No' were answered 
\ry raps in the cabinet, three raps signifying 'Yes' and 
two, 'No.' Some of them, toward the close, seemed 
unable to bear the light, for, as soon as they appeared, 
they began to sink and drop immediately down to or 
through the curtain, till they reached the bottom. Their 
most peculiar feature was their self-luminosity, for we 
could see them more distinctly than we could see each 
other in the circle. The seance closed at 1 :20 A. M." 

"Mr. Riley is popular in Marcellus and surrounding 
country, for I heard no adverse criticism, but much com- 
mendation and the general opinion is freely expressed 
that he is utterly incapable of practicing a fraud on the 
public, and such conclusions seem reasonable as he 
charges nothing for his trouble, accepting only whatever 
gifts the people may bestow, and which amounts to less 
than two dollars per day through the year when he is 
at home, the visitors numbering from ten to thirty at 
the seances ; and they come from every state in the 
Union, sometimes waiting a month or two for their turn. 
Preachers come, Jews come, and skeptics come, and all 
go away convinced or confounded, and all seem to be 
satisfied of the medium's honesty." 

"But it sometimes turns out that those who have never 
witnessed the phenomena occurring here, know so much 
more about it than those who have, that they can explain 
everything; but the writer would not attempt it; he is 
satisfied to give the bold, staring facts as they appeared, 
without fear or favor. There may be another set of 

247 



laws governing in the ethereal and spiritual realms, 
which cannot be recognized in the physical universe — 
'more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamed of 
in our philosophy/ I regard this class of phenomena, 
the materialization of forms long known to have been 
given to death and decay, (disregarding counterfeit) the 
greatest wonder of this wonderful age." 

O. W. Barnard. 

Secular paper in 1889 says people are wild over mani- 
festations, produced through Jim's mediumship. 

"Near Marcellus lives James Riley, a farmer who 
has driven the people in the neighborhood wild with 
excitement over his startling power in summoning back 
their departed friends. Riley is about forty-six years 
of age, has a wife and three small children, and lives a 
quiet, happy life on a farm three and one-half miles 
west of Marcellus village. About three years ago, he 
found himself placed in a trance and, under the influence 
of some person unknown, he did some very peculiar 
things. From that time until the present, Mr. Riley has 
developed the power of a medium of a very sensational 
variety. Yesterday, two newspaper men drove up to 
Riley's unpretentious farm house, and were given a sit- 
ting. The visitors were allowed to select any room for 
the manifestation they pleased. They chose a small bed- 
room off the sitting room." 

"The room was closely inspected, gummed paper pasted 
over the windows to prevent their being raised, and 
Riley sat in the middle of the room with his hands full 
of flour, carefully smoothed down. Curtains were hung 

248 



in the doorway and the visitors were seated in front of 
it in the sitting-room which was well lighted. Soon the 
curtains parted and from the darkened room there 
stepped a very tall gentleman with dark, piercing eyes, 
black hair parted in olden style, and a very heavy black 
mustache. His dress was a black evening costume, very 
old-fashioned; he wore spotless linen, and appeared to 
be a society gentleman. The face and hands appeared 
life-like and natural ; the figure stepped about two feet 
forward from the curtain, and smiling graciously, ex- 
tended its hands to Mrs. Riley who arose and shook 
hands with Mr. Benton, as she called him. Mr. Riley's 
five-year-old son ran across the room, exclaiming eagerly 
'I want to shake hands with Mr. Benton!' The stately 
figure stooped down and took the little fellow's hand, 
and then disappeared into the dark room." 

"There were eight other equally startling materializa- 
tions ; slates with writing on them were thrown from the 
room at the visitors and sounds as of the bed being vio- 
lently thrown about the room were heard. After the 
phenomena Riley was found seated as at first with the 
flour in his hands, undisturbed. The strange manifesta- 
tions have caused so much excitement that it is now 
impossible to obtain a glimpse of the farmer medium 
without making an appointment several days ahead in 
order to insure an audience. Mr. Riley has thus far 
been able to perform the tests of his power, day or night, 
and in any house or room that has been selected by the 
skeptical visitors." 



249 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

Seance Held at Detroit, Mich. — Letter From a Prominent Physi- 
cian of Ft. Wayne, Ind. 

"Farmer Riley spent nearly a week in our city recently 
and gave four of his materializing seances. One of the 
seances was held at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Dor- 
man and was, so to speak, 'a corker.' Nearly every one 
of the fifteen sitters had some relative or acquaintance 
from the spirit side of life to greet them. One of the 
materializations was a young lady of thirty years, a 
cousin of mine, who passed over out in western New 
York, and was known by no other sitter but myself, and 
was fully recognized by me." 

"Mr. and Mrs. Dorman had a like experience. An 
old neighbor of theirs when they lived in Washington, 
D. C, a machinist by trade, called Mr. Dorman to the 
cabinet, shook hands with him and held his face close 
to his, to be fully recognized and identified. He was 
pronounced by Mr. Dorman to be as natural as when 
last seen by him in the material some eight years ago. 
As Mr. Dorman stood by the cabinet, the form demate- 
rialized, holding the curtains apart. Mr. Riley was plainly 
seen, sitting in his chair as this form sank to the floor. 
Allow me to say here, that we had light enough so we 

250 



could see everything in the room distinctly and per- 
fectly." 

"During the whole seance we had twenty-nine forms ; 
nineteen of them came at the last sitting. Many mes- 
sages written on slates were received. We all join in 
saying that materialization no longer is a belief, but, as 
demonstrated through the mediumship of Farmer Riley, 
it is a knowledge. We all feel very grateful that we 
had the privilege of gaining that knowledge." 

G. A. Carr. 

Letter from a prominent physician of Ft. Wayne, 
Indiana. 

"To the Editor: — Up to the time my wife and self 
visited the wonderful, though plain and unsophisticated, 
materializing medium, Farmer James Riley, I was not 
satisfied on the subject of materialization, although I 
had witnessed a few attempts in that direction. In the 
first week of last month, (May) we visited Marcellus, 
Michigan, for the purpose of further investigation of 
this phase of spiritualistic phenomena. The reason why 
so much time has elapsed since then without sending 
you a report of our visit, must be attributed to our in- 
ability to do it justice. With the single exception that 
none of our deceased friends put in an appearance, the 
seance was eminently and amazingly satisfactory." 

"We stopped at the Columbia Hotel in Marcellus, the 
proprietor of which is a new resident of the town, hav- 
ing been in charge of the hotel but a few months; he 
was accustomed to driving parties from a distance to 
Mr. Riley's country home, and remaining throughout 

251 



the seance for their return with him to the hotel. On 

this occasion he drove us out. A Mr. , Traveling 

Freight Agent of the Chicago and Grand Trunk Ry., 
formed one of the party. The latter gentleman was very 
particular to inform us that he had no manner of con- 
fidence in these phenomena, but having nothing special 
to do, and a small amount of curiosity to see and hear 
what might be seen and heard, was quite willing to join 
us. On our way out, our landlord remarked that he was 
perfectly satisfied with the reality and genuineness of 
Mr. Riley's materializations, but had never been fortu- 
nate enough to have any of his friends appear to him." 
"Arriving at Mr. Riley's about eight o'clock, we found 
him busily engaged in answering a stack of letters just 
received from parties who were anxious to arrange a 
date with him, or to have him visit them at their own 
homes. While he was thus engaged, we with all the 
skeptics present, proceeded to examine the little bed- 
room from whence emerged the forms which have ren- 
dered Mr. Riley's name famous as a medium. If I have 
the points of the compass correctly, said bedroom is 
situated due east and west, the bed occupying the south- 
east corner. At its foot was located a window which we 
thoroughly sealed. East of this window was a closet 
containing women's and children's clothing, every article 
of which we thoroughly examined. Mr. Riley's house is 
not large, nor is his family small, and most of the cloth- 
ing not in use was in the closet. We acquainted our- 
selves with every article, and utterly failed to see any 
one of them upon the forms that appeared. We also 
examined the bed and the floor under the carpet. The 

252 



bedroom door had been removed, and in its stead hung 
two black cambric curtains." 

"Having satisfied ourselves that there was no living 
soul in the room, and that none could gain an entrance 
from the outside without an effort that would be dis- 
tinctly heard, we announced our readiness for the seance. 
We were then instructed each to wash and dry a slate 
and write thereon anything desired and to place them on 
the bed on which there was already placed a music 
box, weighing eighteen and one-half pounds. The space 
between the bed and the door, to the right of which 
Mr. Riley sits during his entrancement, with his head 
against the frame or jamb, his hands full of flour, and 
his elbows resting on his knees, is about three feet. The 
door opens into the bedroom upon about the middle 
aspect of the bed. Mr. Riley sits between the eastern or 
foot end of the bed, and the eastern or his right side of 
the door." 

"The room in which the circle sat is situated directly 
north of the bedroom, and is of more than ordinary size. 
Back of the circle which was composed of two rows, 
was an organ on which was placed the lamp, the blaze 
of which was turned up nearly to its full height; so 
high was it, at least, that every person in the room could 
be easily recognized, every object distinctly seen; in- 
deed, by a slight effort, ordinary newspaper print could 
have been read. Mr. Riley holds flour in his hands 
simply as a test condition which cannot fail to be uni- 
versally satisfactory. It is very evident that if he were 
himself impersonating the forms that appear, he could 
not very successfully use his hands without dropping the 
flour." 



253 



"Hardly had the curtains been dropped after taking 
his seat, until he began to give evidence of becoming 
influenced by his controls. In a few minutes we could ob- 
serve the bottom of the curtains moving as if swayed 
by a breeze, these movements finally becoming stronger 
and extending higher and higher until the curtains parted, 
and there stepped forth a man as perfect and distinct 
apparently, as any man I ever saw. He was an elderly, 
intelligent-looking man of commanding appearance, 
dressed in black, — a well-dressed gentleman of ye olden 
time with a spotless white shirt and collar. (Mr. Riley, 
the medium, wore a colored shirt with no necktie, dressed 
simply as an ordinary farmer.) The gentleman held in 
his hand, the music box, and beckoned me to come to 
him. Placing the instrument in my hands, he extended 
his right hand to shake hands with me. This was said 
to be Col. Benton, Mr. Riley's principal control. He 
said nothing, but, I am told he does sometimes speak 
for fifteen or twenty minutes at a time.' , 

"I returned to my seat in the circle with the music 
box, leaving my strange acquaintance standing within 
a few feet of the circle, and bowing to every member of 
it. He finally turned to go toward the curtains, but what 
was most wonderful and satisfactory to me, dematerial- 
ized, vanishing away from the top down as if going 
through a trap door below before he reached those cur- 
tains. The next form that appeared was a young man 
with a clean-shaven face, wearing a mustache; bright 
and intelligent looking, and dressed altogether differently. 
He advanced a few steps and beckoned the Freight Agent 
above referred to, to come to him ; but no persuasion on 

254 



the part of the entire circle could induce said Freight 
Agent to stir, so completely dazed was he. This form 
remained a few moments and then sank apparently 
through the floor in full view; the last seen of him was 
his face and head resting directly on and in contact with 
the floor, before it finally disappeared." 

"The next form that appeared was an elderly gentle- 
man in light clothes, and wearing a beard that was quite 
gray. He was immediately recognized, with an exclama- 
tion I shall never forget, as the father of our landlord, 
who had departed from this life but eight months before. 
'Why/ said our host, 'no person under God's heaven 
can persuade me that that is not my father. I know it 
is.' He went up to the form and asked him a number 
of questions that were promptly and satisfactorily ans- 
wered by the usual silent method of nodding and shak- 
ing of the head. The form then stepped back of the 
curtains and picking up his son's slate from the bed, 
returned and standing in full view of us all, and directly 
up to his son, wrote upon the slate quite a lengthy mes- 
sage and handed it to our landlord who stood all the 
while waiting for it. This message served only to seal 
the son's conviction that he was verily standing in the 
presence of his father. When we returned to the hotel, 
we compared the writing on the slate with several letters 
written by his father not long before his death, and 
found them to be identical in every respect so far as 
writing, spelling and construction generally were con- 
cerned; not the least appreciable difference could be de- 
tected. His father appeared to him three times on this 
occasion, seemingly to atone for not putting in an ap- 

255 



pearance on all the former occasions of the landlord's 
visits." 

"Altogether there were, if I remember correctly, ten 
manifestations of men, and two of women, and under 
circumstances which, to my mind, admitted no possibility 
of fraud. They all vanished in our sight. It was two 
o'clock in the morning- before the seance ended. At the 
last, the control, Col. Benton, came out stronger than at 
first, and went to every member of the circle and shook 
hands, and then as before, dematerialized before reach- 
ing the curtains, in full view of the entire circle. Our 
Freight Agent lay awake the remainder of the night, and 
put in his time from breakfast to dinner in writing his 
family of what he had observed during the night." 

"And now I cannot resist the temptation to add a fur- 
ther experience which to me is most remarkable. While 
I was at Mr. Riley's house, he handed me a letter he had 
just received from a gentleman from my city, Mr. John 
Vordermark, asking for a date for his visit. Mr. Riley 
said he would not answer it by letter if I would be kind 
enough to tell him, on my return, that unless he could 
be here on next Sunday evening, he could not give him 
a date for several months, perhaps. This was on Wed- 
nesday evening. On the following day, I concluded to 
write Mr. Vordermark instead of waiting to tell him, 
fearing I would not see him soon enough to enable him 
to take a Saturday train, as there would be no trains 
Sunday. I accordingly did so. Although we were anx- 
ious to stay a few days longer and witness more of these 
remarkable phenomena, we were obliged to return home, 
and did so Thursdav afternoon." 



256 



"On Saturday, I stepped into Mr. Vordermark's store 
to ascertain if he had gone, when I learned that he had 
left for Marcellus on the morning train. In the evening 
Mrs. Seery Hibbits, the noted trumpet medium, now 
residing at Muncie, Indiana, unexpectedly came to our 
city, and on the following Sunday morning held a seance 
at the Hall of the Ft. Wayne Occult Science Society. I 
was present and asked her principal control, Dr. Sharp, 
if he could go up to Mr. Riley's seance that evening and 
materialize for Mr. Vordermark who would be there. 
He said he would, or at least try to do so. The spirit 
of Mr. William Malloy, whose widow sat in the circle, 
spoke up saying that he would go along with Dr. Sharp, 
and also materialize for Mr. Vordermark if he could 
possibly do so." 

"In the afternoon, Mrs. Seery Hibbits held another 
seance at which Dr. Sharp reminded us of his intention 
of going to Michigan to Mr. Riley's seance, as above 
noted. Mr. Malloy also reassured us that he would be 
there also. In the evening Mrs. Seery Hibbits held an- 
other (the third) seance, at which there were about 
eighty persons present. We waited and sang and sang, 
beginning to think we were not going to have any mani- 
festations at all this evening, inasmuch as usually in 
these trumpet seances we do not have to wait but a short 
time for them. Finally, another one of Mrs. Seery Ha- 
bits' controls (Dr. Sharp, by the way, is the one who 
conducts or opens and closes her seances), by the name 
of Katie Kinsey, appeared by a voice talking through the 
trumpet, announcing the fact that Dr. Sharp was not 
here, but that she would try and do the best she could 

257 



in conducting the circle. About a dozen voices from the 
circle immediately asked Katie Kinsey where Dr. Sharp 
was. She replied promptly, 'He's gone to Michigan 
to Mr. Riley's seance to materialize for Mr. Vorder- 
mark.' " 

"In the course of about an hour after this, Dr. Sharp 
suddenly put in an appearance and said he was up to 
Riley's, but failed to materialize as yet, but was going 
up again when he hoped to be more successful. I then 
asked the Doctor how long it took him to go there. He 
replied, 'Not a second ; as quick as thought.' He then 
left us and did not return again that evening. The next 
day, Monday, at another trumpet seance, he informed us 
that he did materialize to Mr. Vordermark whose wife 
and children also appeared, and were recognized by him 
and, describing his appearance and all the particulars con- 
nected with it, he asked us to interrogate Mr. Vorder- 
mark (who was perfectly innocent of the whole matter) 
upon his return, if he did not see so and so, etc., etc. 
Dr. Sharp also informed us that Mr. Malloy failed to 
materialize, not being as fortunate as he was upon his 
second visit to Riley's." 

"To make a long story short as possible, suffice it to 
say, Mr. Vordermark did see such a form as Dr. Sharp 
described himself to be, and Mrs. Riley with several 
others who were accustomed to the forms presenting 
at various times, remarked that the one in question was 
an entirely new face and figure, they never having seen 
him before. When Mr. Vordermark was finally shown 
a picture of Dr. Sharp, he exclaimed with enthusiastic 
emphasis, 'That's him, that's him, and that settles it/ " 

H. V. Swearingen. 

258 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 

Excellent Manifestations Through Jim's Mediumship at Haslet 
Park, Mich. — Master Masons Materialize with Aprons on and 
Give the Grips and Signs of the Order — Beal Litchfield's 
Summary of What He Learned in Forty Years' Intercourse 
With the Denizens of the Spirit World. 

"There were wonderful manifestations of spirit re- 
turn at a seance with Farmer Riley at Haslet Park 
camp the night of August 24th, 1892. Friends and rela- 
tives came to all in the seance room. All were quickly 
recognized as all but two could talk and give their 
names so as to be plainly understood, and the two that 
could not talk were so perfect in their make-up that 
their friends could quickly recognize them." 

"The Master Masons came out to me with aprons 
on ; one with plain white, and two with fancy blue lamb- 
skin aprons. They gave me the signs, grips and words 
of the first three degrees in Masonry, as perfectly as I 
ever got them from a brother in earth life, and as cor- 
rectly. Two of the three I have sat with in Lodge on 
this side; Brother John Blackmer, who passed to spirit 
life about eight years ago near Devil's Lake, Dakota, 
and Brother George Burnett, who passed over one year 
ago at Belding, Michigan; the other was a stranger to 

259 



me, but an uncle to a lady in the seance room. They 
are workers now in the Grand Lodge on high, where we 
all hope to meet them in the sweet by and by. Farmer 
Riley is not a Mason, and his control, Mr. Benton, told 
us to tell his medium that he did not want him to join 
the Masons, not because he did not like Masonry, but 
so people could not say that it was Riley doing this." 

"Mrs. F. B. Warren, the lady of the house where I 
make my home, is sitting for development for material- 
ization and has for three years; her main control is 
Alexander Hamilton, her chemist, Thomas Hood, and 
her physician, Dr. Rusk. They came out and gave 
their medium treatment (one at a time) by calling up 
the sitters and forming a circle around them and their 
medium. Alexander Hamilton walked out and went to 
the head of the circle to his medium, and took hold of 
her, and had her get up out of her chair so he could 
walk through to the cabinet. Then he came back and 
had us all rise, and form a circle around him and his 
medium, while he gave her thorough treatment; then 
shaking hands with all, he bade us good night and re- 
turned to the cabinet." 

"Then came Riley's son-in-law, Samuel Bellingham, 
who passed to spirit life last April. He came and gave 
his name, shook hands with all in the room and then 
went back in the cabinet to get strength. He then came 
out again, took me by the arm, and led me to the light 
that stood on the table, full twenty feet from the cabinet, 
and turned his face up to me with a smile and said, 
'Sam' in a loud whisper. He then turned and led me 
back to the cabinet and said to me, 'Tell my dear wife 

260 



Emma of this/ then bade me good night and disap- 
peared." 

"Miss Mattie Shipp of Lansing, Michigan, was taken 
into the cabinet by Benton, Riley's control, three times, 
and holding her by one hand, he placed her other hand 
on the medium's head. Mr. Benton talked and sang 
with us. He also said that he might put his medium 
on the rostrum to talk, sometime in the future, but would 
not dare to do it yet, as he (Benton) was too radical; 
that they would kick him and his medium off the camp 
ground. While we were singing the 'Sweet By and By/ 
Benton came to the front of the cabinet and said, 'Dear 
friends, none but those that go to sleep in Jesus will 
rest free from sorrow and pain, as they are waiting for 
Gabriel to blow his horn to wake them up ; but you people 
on the earth side who have learned this beautiful philos- 
ophy, will never rest free from sorrow and pain as long 
as you can look back and see your friends in ignorance 
and superstition as they are now/ " 

"The whole seance was simply wonderful and awe- 
inspiring. Every student of Occultism should meet and 
have a sitting with Farmer Riley, Michigan's champion 
materializing medium. With love to all, and malice 
towards none, Yours fraternally, 

Jerry Bricker." 

Summary of what Beal Litchfield learned in forty 
years' intercourse with the denizens of the spirit world. 

We have learned the great and all-important truth 
that so-called death does not end the career of a human 
being, who has been born on this earth; that when the 
human form passes through the change called death, the 

261 



mind, soul, or spirit loses nothing, except the material 
temple in which it has dwelt for a long time, or a short 
time; that the individual entity or consciousness still 
lives and retains its individual consciousness and mental 
attributes, although the external form has been laid in 
the grave and has returned to dust. We have learned 
that those who are called dead have not gone to a 
'bourne from which no traveler returns' for they return 
daily to us here in earth life, when we make conditions 
suitable, and tell us of their continuation of life in the 
higher or spiritual state of existence. Those who come 
to us, invariably tell us that they commenced their life's 
work in the higher life, just as exactly where they laid it 
down in this life when they passed away from the earth 
form. They also tell us that all who pass from earth 
to the higher life, take with them their own individual 
characteristics (whether they are good or bad) and that 
those characteristics will adhere to them until, through 
growth and unfoldment, they will be able to rise above 
their present condition to higher planes of mental and 
spiritual unfoldment. They tell us that progress is a law 
of human unfoldment in spirit life, as surely as it is in 
earth life, and that all who desire to unfold more of their 
mental and spiritual capacity, will then find ample means 
for satisfying that desire. But those who are evil- 
minded, low, and vile, and have no desire to acquire more 
knowledge, or rise above their low and undeveloped con- 
dition, will be allowed to continue thus until the good 
angel of progress awakens within their dark minds a de- 
sire to advance to a higher condition, and then they will 
find good and kind instructors who will willingly lead 

262 



them up the pathway of progress to higher fields of un- 
folding life. They tell us that those who were good, 
truthful, just and honest in their earth lives, occupy a 
glorious home and beautiful surroundings in the higher 
life and are comparatively happy; but those who in 
earth life have been low and vile, dishonest and unjust, 
will find themselves in spirit life, if they pass there in 
that condition, upon the same plane of thought and ac- 
tion, and will sometime in spirit life suffer the fiery 
pangs of a guilty conscience, just in proportion to their 
wrong deeds." 

"They tell us that there are many different places of 
abode for spirits who have left the mortal form, — that 
each one will find a home in a sphere of life that will 
be adapted to its mental and spiritual plane of unfolrl- 
ment. They also tell us that very many men and women 
spirits, (for all who have laid off their mortal forms are 
men, women, and children in spirit life) will remain on 
earth for years, (some for many years after their transi- 
tion) for the reason that they have not grown or un- 
folded above the low plane which they occupied on earth. 
Their development was almost wholly upon the material 
and sensual plane, and they are earth-bound spirits ; hence 
they cannot for a time arise above the gross earthly plane 
of life, and therefore must remain on earth until progress 
raises them upon a higher plane." 

"They tell us that the next higher sphere is to be found 
upon the first spiritual belt or zone (which surrounds the 
earth) and that upon this belt are to be found many 
spirits of different degrees of unfoldment, but the law 
of attraction collects together those whose mental and 

263 



spiritual unfoldment are similar, and thus society upon 
that belt is divided into different associations, similar to 
those on earth. In that sphere are to be found many of 
the different Christians and others, whose dogmatic 
creeds chain them to the old forms and ceremonies of the 
past ages, and there they must remain until they shall 
desire to know more of life and its uses. Then they will 
commence like the opening flower to unfold their blos- 
soms of mind to others who occupy a higher plane of 
spiritual unfoldment." 

"The spirit friends also tell us that many who enter 
that plane of life, expecting to find Jesus, or God, are 
terribly disappointed when they fail to find either of 
them in any of the spheres of spirit life. Once at a ma- 
terializing seance, an aged spirit, a relative of mine, ma- 
terialized and walked out of the cabinet. She had been 
a good woman in earth life, a good and zealous member 
of the Methodist church for more than thirty years, and 
ever thought it a sacred duty to offer many prayers to 
the Throne of Grace. In my conversation with her, I 
asked if she found that her prayers offered when she 
was in earth life had been of any use to her in spirit 
life. She replied, 'No, not in the least. I prayed honestly, 
earnestly and sincerely upon bended knee, for more than 
thirty years in earth life, and those prayers never did 
me a bit of good.' I asked her if she had seen God, 
Jesus, or the golden throne in spirit life. She answered, 
'No, I have never found them.' I asked, 'Do you think 
there is such a person in existence as Jesus of Nazareth ?' 
She replied, 'They tell us that Jesus is in the seventh 
sphere, and that when we get to the seventh sphere, we 
shall see him, and that is all I know about it.' " 

264 



"I have talked with many of the denizens of the spirit 
realms, and I have never found one who said they had 
ever seen Jesus or God, or who had ever found the Chris- 
tian's heaven; no one, unless it was a Catholic priest 
from spirit life, with whom I had a very unpleasant ex- 
perience many years since. He claimed to know all about 
Jesus, God, heaven and hell, and he also claimed that 
all who were Catholics would go to heaven, and all who 
were not Catholics would surely go to hell. I yielded at 
first submissively to his control, but soon became dis- 
gusted with his bigotry and lack of reason, yet I could 
not shut him off. For more than a year, if I seated 
myself for an influence, that miserable old bigot would 
grab me, and I could not shut him off until my spirit 
guide would shut him up. It required the combined 
power of my own will, and the power of my spirit guide 
to shut him off; but after a time, we conquered him, 
and he left me. At least, I have not recognized his pres- 
ence lately. ,, 

"As far as I have been able to learn, there is a large 
variety of beliefs in spirit, life, as there is in earth life. 
And why should there not be, as long as earth is daily 
sending to spirit life men and women representing all 
the different beliefs that are cherished upon earth ; and 
those creeds, however false they may be, will be believed 
in by some in spirit life, until the believer of a false 
creed shall through growth and progress learn its ab- 
surdity and its falsity. But we think the skeptic will 
here ask, 'If that is true, how do you know those who 
communicate with you tell the truth?' I have found 
that in communicating with spirits, it is best for us to 

265 



judge of the truth or falsity of what they tell us, by the 
same rules that we judge of the truth or untruth of what 
spirits who are yet in the mortal form on earth tell us." 

"Human beings who yet occupy their material forms 
on earth are as surely spirits, as they will be when they 
shall have laid off their 'mortal coil' and passed to a 
higher life beyond the grave. And in earth life we are 
compelled to associate with the good, the bad, the indiffer- 
ent, the false, and the true, and are compelled to judge 
for ourselves in regard to the truth of what they tell us ; 
and by the same rule, I judge of the truth of all com- 
munications coming from all the different grades of 
human development in all conditions of human life, 
whether on earth or in the higher spheres. We suppose 
that until the human mind arrives at a certain degree 
of perfection, it will be liable to make mistakes in form- 
ing a belief, or to err in judgment. Hence, it seems 
to us necessary that we should have some basis of ab- 
solute truth, with which we can compare ideas, theories, 
and beliefs presented to us by other minds that dwell 
either on earth or in the higher realms of being. And 
we have been able to find one and only one absolute 
guide, upon which we can depend with any reasonable 
degree of certainty, to lead us in the pathway of truth 
in our search for knowledge in this sphere of existence. 
That guide is the phenomena of life in all the different 
departments of being." 

"We think we are perfectly safe in assuming that life's 
phenomena, in all its vast variety of expression, are 
governed by immutable law ; and that forces, like con- 
ditions, will produce the same results ; and that any man 

266 



woman, king, priest, or potentate cannot in the least de- 
gree change nature's law. Man may, to a certain degree, 
change the combination of some elements in some small 
department of Nature's laboratory that may change the 
result, but the law will remain the same. Here then, 
lies the only basis we have found, by which we can com- 
pare our belief, and ascertain whether it is true or false. 
For, if we find that our belief or creed will not harmonize 
with the laws of life, as they are expressed through life's 
unfoldings, we may at once know that there is an error 
in our formula or belief. To illustrate: Man has told 
us through the writings contained in an ancient book, 
(and this has for thousands of years been believed by a 
part of mankind to be true) that this earth with all its 
mountains, its plains, its rivers, oceans, seas and lakes, 
and the whole planetary system, sun, moon, and stars, 
were made about six thousand years ago, and that they 
were all made and placed in the firmament in six days' 
time; and that a woman was, by a surgical operation, 
made out of a rib taken out of the side of a man." 

"Before the human mind on earth was sufficiently 
unfolded to seek for truth in the realms of the phenomena 
of life, it was very easy for the human mind to believe 
such stories, especially when they were taught by the 
priesthood to be a divine truth, revealed to mankind by 
the great Architect and Builder of this world, and all 
other planets and worlds in existence. But as humanity 
came, year after year, and age after age, struggling up the 
pathway of progression unfoldment, and commenced to 
study into the field of causation as it is revealed through 
the phenomena of life which had been produced through 

2G7 



natural and unchanging law, they found that, according 
to the geological structure of the earth, the ancient theory 
of the earth being created and made in six days' time 
could not be true. They also found, by comparing other 
ancient theories in regard to mankind and their relations 
with the phenomena of life, that those other theories did 
not harmonize with the living facts as expressed in the 
phenomena of life. And here arose the difference be- 
tween science and theory ; between the revelation of phe- 
nomena and the relation of priesthood. Science claimed 
that nothing but the great, divine Architect could write 
the pages of the great Book of nature, and thus speak to 
man through the rocky crust of old Mother Earth, and 
if that Architect, by some called God, had through man 
revealed his power and will, in a man-written book, the 
written book should harmonize in all its parts with the 
revelation of nature's forces which man could not con- 
trol. The priesthood claimed that the Bible was the only 
revelation that God had ever given to man, and that all 
things of earth were earthy, sensual, and devilish. Thus 
the priesthood has ever been throwing dust in the eyes 
of those who sought to find more and higher truth." 

"But the eyes of a part of humanity are getting opened, 
and the most intellectual people now admit that nature's 
laws are God's laws, and that man's creeds must harm- 
onize with nature's laws and force if they are worthy 
of belief. Again : The priesthood taught the people for 
many years that when persons passed through that change 
called death, they went to a 'bourne from which no 
traveler returned', and well do I remember in my youth- 
ful days, the shadow, a thousand times darker than mid- 
268 



night gloom, that enshrouded my mental horizon as the 
form of a loved one was laid to rest in the silent tomb ; 
and by me. 

'In death a monster dark was seen 
Without a ray of light between 
My loved one, whom we laid away 
And us who yet on earth did stay.' 

'Oh! dark and cruel was that power 
That taught such creeds at death's dark hour 
When hearts with grief were crushed and broken 
The priesthood brought to us no token/ 

'Of love, of life from the friend we'd lost. 
Our hearts o'er billows dark were tossed 
For then, no ray of light we'd found 
From the spirit realms, to earth's cold ground.' 

"But, by and by! What is that? A rap! Hark! 
They come, another, another, and yet more. We ask, 
'Who are you?' The answer comes, T am the spirit of 
your brother, whom you thought dead, but I never died. 
I still live ; I love you still. I never went to the "bourne 
from whence no traveler returns ;" I am here to tell you 
of our life in the spirit realms of being.' But the priests 
tell me, 'Oh no, no, no, it cannot be your brother ; he can- 
not come back. This is fraud; this is deception; this 
is electricity; no, it is the devil; and God's holy book, 
the Bible, denounces all such devilish manifestations.' 
Thus the priests denounced, and for forty and more years 

269 



they have kept denouncing, and many of them that are 
too bigoted to investigate the phenomena, still keep de- 
nouncing. For all that, our friends and thousands of 
the friends of others, still come and keep coming, re- 
gardless of the denunciation of Christian bigots, thus 
proving conclusively that the priesthood has been in error, 
and that the phenomena of life has been the only source 
upon which we depend to learn the glorious truth of a 
future life of the human soul, and the truth of spiritual 
intercourse with the denizens of the higher spheres of 
human existence. And from that source, the phenomena 
of life brought to the people on earth by those who have 
crossed death's mystic river, we have learned all that we 
know in regard to a future life, and of the existence of 
our loved ones who have passed on before. And those 
lessons we have learned in spite of the denunciations of a 
dark-minded and bigoted priesthood with its deceived 
followers. ,, 

"The lessons of life which I have learned from that 
source during the last forty years of my earthly pilgrim- 
age, are of far more value to me to cheer me on my way, 
and give me courage, strength of mind, and happiness as 
I wend my way down the sunset slope of earth life, than 
all the orthodox sermons that have ever been preached 
or written, or that I have ever heard or read." 



270 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

Reformation Brought About by Loving Spirits — Extraordinary 
Seance — Forms Materialize With the Curtain Up — Talk as 
Never Before — Jim Gets Scared at Spirit Form — A Daisy 
Brought From the Yard and Placed Between Two Slates — 
Mr. Benton's Reply About the Benton Harbor Psychic — 
Slate Writing. 

May 3rd, 1910, I was at South Bend, Ind. I received 
the "Progressive Thinker" of April 30th, 1910, at that 
point, and I read the following article, headed: "Refor- 
mation brought about by loving spirits." The article was 
written by W. B. Shirtz, who had the experience. 

As I was going to Benton Harbor in a few days I de- 
cided to investigate this case. A few days later I reached 
Benton Harbor and in the evening I telephoned Mr. 
Shirtz I was coming out and see him. He said he would 
meet me on the arrival of the interurban car the next 
morning. I visited with him for forty minutes. He 
informed me that the spirit who manifested to him was 
John Bodine. He picked berries for him a year ago 
and that he had died last October. A complete reforma- 
tion in Mr. Shirtz's case. 

A neighbor of Mr. Shirtz told me that a complete 
change had come over Mr. Shirtz, that previous to these 

271 



manifestations he was a hard drinker and always in 
trouble. 

I am a man 49 years of age, and have never belonged 
to or believed in, any church. Have lived a fast life, and 
have gradually been going from bad to worse. 

About two weeks ago while working in the field I 
distinctly heard my name called, but no one being in sight, 
I thought perhaps it was imagination and continued on 
with my work. When this unseen visitor came closer and 
began a conversation my hair stood straight up and I 
went to my home as fast as I could get there. 

All this time there were a thousand electric vibrations 
passing through my body. Upon arriving at the house 
I told my wife what had happened and she advised me to 
hitch up and go to our family physician for examination 
and treatment, which I did. 

At the Doctor's office my mysterious visitor said to me : 
"Dr.. Taylor can't do you any good." After getting some 
nerve medicine and starting home, this mysterious visitor 
upbraided me on my way, and was home with me when I 
got there. He talked with me and told me who he was, 
and that he had died last October, and he wanted me to 
live right. We had a war of words, and I called him a 
vicious name for taking advantage of me, and instantly I 
seemed to be paralyzed and fell in a chair helpless. Then 
this mysterious friend asked me how I liked it. I had 
had enough, and told him that I was ready to follow his 
advice, and with God's help I would do so. 

Instantly I was restored to my former self. I have 
not felt as well and strong mentally, or physically, for 
twenty years. He told me to go on with my work and he 

272 



would go on with me, which he did, and we had a very 
pleasant visit all the afternoon. At supper time he went 
to the barn with me while I did my chores. We then 
went to the house for supper. I said to him : "Supper is 
ready in the dining car, John, come, take your old seat." 
He replied, "All aboard, I'll be there." After supper he 
was up stairs where he had often slept, and I was sit- 
ting in the kitchen talking of this most mysterious affair 
with my wife, when my mysterious friend started an old 
familiar song that we often sang together. I immediately 
joined him, singing bass, and he tenor, and we sang the 
old songs for an hour. 

He stayed with me until twelve o'clock at night, then 
told me he must go, but would come again, but before 
leaving told me he would give me the same power he 
possessed. He did, for since then my sister, long since 
dead, from whom I had been estranged for years, called 
on me. I asked her forgiveness, which she fully granted 
but would not leave until I had forgiven my father with 
whom I had had trouble. 

I fully forgave him and have sent for him to come and 
spend the balance of his days with me, which will be few, 
as he is now past eighty-three years of age. 

I am now a true believer in spiritual unfoldment, and 
believe that God in his goodness has worked for me to 
do and sent this spirit friend of mine to me to start me 
right. 

I am able now at any time, day or night, to call my 
spirit friends to me in a moment's time, and to under- 
stand them. Although they are unseen, they make their 
presence known by vibrations. 

273 



I would like to hear from those able to advise me on 
these experiences. 

W. B. Shirtz, 

Benton Harbor, Mich. 

I am glad I called on him. He said to me, "I have lived 
a bad life. My remaining days will be devoted to doing 
good, and I never will drink another drop of liquor/' and 
I don't think he will. People ask the question, "What 
good is there in Spiritualism?" This case answers the 
question. 

The writer reached Jim's house on the evening of May 
the seventh, 1910, found him enjoying good health, and 
the same genial Jim. Sunday evening, May the eighth, at 
eight-thirty, we repaired to the sitting room. There were 
present, Mrs. Riley, her mother, Mrs. Marsh and your 
humble servant. Jim enters the little bedroom used for a 
cabinet ; curtain was dropped and after ten minutes Jim's 
cough gave notice to raise the curtain. We had previously 
placed slates on the bed, they were examined, there was 
a message for Mrs. Marsh and two for myself, one from 
Mr. Benton as follows : "Brother V., again I have the 
pleasure of greeting you. We find the vibrations so fine, 
we will be able to give you wonderful manifestations of 
the continuation of life after so-called death. Signed 
John Benton." 

One from my Brother George as follows : "Brother 
Abe, I am pleased to see success dawning for you. I find I 
did not know or understand you before I left you or I 
could have helped you more. We are all doing well and 
happy. Signed Brother George." 

Ten minutes later Jim goes back into the cabinet, did 

274 



not put the curtain down. With Jim in plain sight, Dr. 
Powell materialized and stepped to the door and said, "I 
will put it down." Several other forms materialized and 
were recognized. After fifteen minutes Jim comes out, 
and then returns to the cabinet again in ten minutes. In 
a few seconds, Dr. Carpenter, one of Jim's controls, 
walked out of the cabinet carrying my largest grip, (they 
were in the bedroom I occupied) came to where I was 
sitting and handed it to me, and said in a loud voice, "Mr. 
Vlerebome, here is your valise." I thanked him and he re- 
turned to the cabinet. This was done, of course, to show 
us what power they had. Three more forms materialized 
and Jim came out for ten minutes. During these sittings 
Dr. Powell said to talk instead of sing to keep up the 
vibrations. I gave some of my experiences at sittings in 
different parts of the country. Jim returns to the cabinet ; 
curtains were left up. I spoke and said, "Doctor, shall I 
put the curtains down ?" Instantly he stood there next to 
Jim and says, "I will put them down." I said to him, "We 
are having splendid manifestations tonight, yes, with your 
help." Several forms materialized and Jim comes out. 
Fifteen minutes later he returns to the cabinet and he 
hears them behind him, and he says, "Please do not 
materialize before I get under control." Immediately he 
was under control and Dr. Powell walked up to the door 
and said, "Here I am again," and put the curtain down. 
Another form appeared and put the curtain up, and Jim 
said, "Get me a drink of water." I went to the kitchen 
for it, was not gone to exceed two minutes, went to the 
door of the cabinet, the curtain was up, Jim was under 
control and there stood an old gentleman with long, 

275 



white whiskers. When I entered the sitting room and 
was within five feet of the cabinet door, there was no 
form in sight and not until I stood at the door did the 
old gentleman appear. I was close to him and the old 
gentleman was Mrs. Marsh's grandfather. 

They were coming so thick and fast and so close to- 
gether, Jim was getting nervous. Mrs. Riley said, "Your 
medium is getting nervous." Mr. Benton replied in a loud 
voice, "That is the way we want him. Jim says they are 
so strong, if they don't quit materializing before I get 
under control I won't sit any more," for when he entered 
the cabinet this time, there stood a form and Jim was 
badly scared. He said his heart went up to his throat. 
In all the sittings, thousands of them, this is the first 
form he has ever seen at his sittings. He went under 
control and the slate was handed out which read : "Now 
my dear subject, Mr. V., we feel so thankful for the 
splendid vibrations you have given us for it has enabled 
us to manifest our presence intelligibly. This medium 
is in fine condition for our work. All drink your coffee 
and eat your lunch, then we will use him more. We 
came out to the sitting room bringing our slates. Mrs. 
Riley had a double slate. She examined the slate. There 
was a message from George Riley, Jim's brother, and 
Daisy. I stood by. There was nothing between the 
slates. Jim had an impression to take hold of those slates 
with Mrs. Riley. They held them probably one minute, 
then opened them, and there was a fresh daisy, just 
plucked from a bunch growing just off the porch. I saw 
the slate just before they were closed and there was no 
daisy there. If that daisy had been plucked before we 

276 



commenced the sitting at eight-thirty (time now being 
eleven-thirty), it would have been wilted. I replied to 
Dr. Powell's message as follows : "Dr. Powell and John 
Benton, we thank you kindly for the splendid manifesta- 
tions you have given us this evening, they are the finest 
I have ever witnessed in all my twenty-two years' ex- 
perience. The manifestations I have witnessed here 
tonight excel those I witnessed here when the medium 
was at his best twenty years ago. I thank you." 

Signed A. V. 

While we were eating lunch I remarked I would like 
very much to take Dr. Powell by the hand. Jim again 
enters the cabinet. After our lunch, we left the curtains 
up. Dr. Powell appeared and put them down, and ex- 
tended his hand to me and I shook hands with him. The 
Doctor says, "I think I have done pretty well." I re- 
plied, "Indeed you have." 

We sang for ten minutes, and Jim came out and two 
messages were on the slates, one in answer to my ques- 
tion, "What do you think about the Benton Harbor 
Psychic, Mr. Shirtz?" The answer: "The Benton Har- 
bor case is one where we found a psychic whom a 
friend could reach and reform will be of usefulness to 
humanity." 

Signed, Dr. Carpenter. 

The other message as follows : "Brother V., we appre- 
ciate your kind words, we will tell you all is well, and 
success will follow you, the forces are getting exhausted, 
we will bid you good night." 

Signed, John Benton & Powell. 

277 



Dear Reader: — 

What is recorded in this book are actual facts. They 
actually happened, I have not exaggerated in the least, 
you can verify what I have written in this book by going 
to Farmer Riley's house, where I assure you you will be 
welcome and well treated, and I trust he will be spared 
many days yet to give this great truth to the people." 



■Conclusion- 



2'ix 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 

The Author's Experience Which Consisted of Trumpet Talking 
in the Dark; Trumpet Talking in the Light; Automatic 
Writing Backward ; Clairvoyance and Talking to the Spirits 
Over the Automatic 'Phone. 

Twenty years ago, in the city of D , state of Ohio, 

I met a German friend of mine on the street, who asked 
me if I had ever investigated Spiritualism. I replied 
that I had not ; that I had never given it a thought. He 
remarked that he would like for me to do so; that he 
knew I would investigate sincerely, and in the right way. 
He informed me of what he had been receiving from his 

spirit friends through the mediumship of Mrs. S. . 

I at once became interested, from the fact that my ex- 
perience in the orthodox church had been very unsatis- 
factory thirty years previous, and I was looking for light 
on that subject. I could not believe what was taught 
in the church ; I was at sea regarding the hereafter, and 
I told him that I would investigate and if I found that 
we could communicate with the so-called dead, I would 
tell the people ; and if we could not, I would tell the peo- 
ple. And the main object in writing Farmer Riley's life, 
and giving my experience is that the people on earth who 
are more interested in the life hereafter, than in this, 
may investigate this subject. Those who go to the other 

279 



life understandingly are farther advanced than those who 
do not. 

The knowledge I have on this subject is to me beyond 
price. The question is settled so far as I am concerned ; 
we make our own heaven and hell, here and hereafter. 
I am trying to live and do right that I may go to the 
higher spheres when I leave this life. 

I left no stone unturned during my investigation of 
this subject to get facts from those in the spirit world, 
and I have undisputed evidence; and to the reader of 
this book I would say, if you are an investigator, I advise 
you should you in your investigations unfortunately come 
in contact with a fraudulent medium, let it not deter you 
from continuing your search for light on this subject. 
"Seek and ye shall find." 

My German friend gave me the address of Mrs. S , 

a trumpet medium. The next day I called on Mrs. 

S ; I had invited a friend of mine, whom I will call 

Mr. H , and who passed over last summer, to accom- 
pany me. We were admitted by Mrs. S— — , and I 

stated that Mr. H and I desired a sitting and that 

it must be under strict test conditions ; that I would lock 
the door and put the key in my pocket, and that Mr. 

H would hold one of her hands, and I the other, so 

that if the trumpet came up from the floor and talked 
to us, we would know that she did not do it. She re- 
plied that we could have a sitting under those conditions. 
I accordingly locked the door, and we took hold of her 
hands. 

There were only three of us in the room, which was 
dark. We sang a hymn or two, and the trumpet was 

280 



up against the ceiling. It came down to me and called 
me by name. I asked who it was, and it replied, "Yeo- 
man, Col. Yeoman." I will state here that Col. Yeoman 
was Colonel of the 90th O. V. L, my regiment during 
the Civil War. I asked, "Why, Colonel, is that you? 
Where did you die?" He replied that he was not dead. 
I asked, "Where did you pass over, Colonel?" He re- 
plied, "At Tate Springs, Tennessee." (He had gone 
there for his health but I did not know it.) I then asked, 
"Who was there with you, Colonel, when you passed 
over?" He replied, "My wife and my brother." (This 
also I did not know at the time, but learned subsequently 
that such was the fact.) "Where did we hold the re- 
union of our regiment last, Colonel?" He replied, "At 
Somerset, Ohio. I was there; you felt my presence." 
" Whom did we elect President, in your place, Colonel ?" 
He replied, "Capt. Keller." "What did your wife give 
me at the reunion?" He answered, "My photograph." 
He thanked me for giving him an opportunity to com- 
municate with him, and bade me good-bye. We had 
been interested together in a manufacturing business, and 
through our army service, of course, were personal 
friends. 

He set the trumpet down, and in a few moments it 

was up in the air and spoke to my friend H , "How 

do you do, my dear son?" and called his full name. (At 
that time I did not know he had a middle name.) He re- 
plied, "Is that you, mother?" She replied, "Yes, my 
son, I left you when you were quite young," (he was two 
years old when she died), "but have been with you all 
these years." She talked very beautifully, and Mr. 

281 



H cried like a child. She bade him good-bye, and 

his son then came to him. He had been killed by the 
cars a year or so before. He sang through the trumpet, 
songs he had sung when on earth. 

The sitting was very satisfactory. Mrs. S 's con- 
trol, Dr. Sharp, also came and talked at length in a loud 
voice ; the others spoke in a loud whisper, but when they 
become accustomed to talking through the trumpet, they 
speak loudly. These manifestations were all produced, 
and we never released our hold of Mrs. S 's hands. 

The following week we went again, and the sitting was 
under the same test conditions. The Colonel tried to 
raise the trumpet but could not do so, and I was unable 

to talk with him. Mrs. S 's control, Dr. Sharp, 

stated such was the case. My friend H talked with 

his mother, his son and his Uncle David. I also talked 
with my mother, my father and my brother who had 
been killed in battle during the Civil War. He told me 
at what time in the morning he was wounded at the 
Battle of Champion Hills, near Vicksburg, Miss., while 
in a charge under Gen. Logan. He told me who carried 
him off the field, — my brother Peter, — and he also gave 
the number of his grave at Vicksburg; he was buried 
among the unknown. 

My father gave me full particulars of his life from the 
time of the commencement of the Civil War up to the 
time I was talking to him. I asked him the question, 
"Where did you give me the last whipping?" He told 
me where, "in Illinois," and why he did it. When my 
mother spoke to me I said, "Mother, who of our family 
is there with you?" She named them all. Mr. H 



and myself attended probably fifteen sittings with Mrs. 
S . Several times we had utter failures; we re- 
ceived no manifestations whatever, though we sat for 
two or three hours and did a great deal of singing. There 
were from eight to twelve persons at these sittings and 
the fee was 50 cents, but when there were no manifesta- 
tions there was no charge. 

My friend H during our sittings was in constant 

communication with his mother. She told him how to 
conduct his business and he followed those instructions 
and everything came to pass just as she had prophesied, 
and his business was a success beyond his expectations. 
At our sittings she would tell of events that happened 
during the day in his business. He said to her at one 
of the sittings, "Mother, you are with me a good deal." 
She replied, "I am with you a good portion of the time." 
He said, "Were you with me this morning when I re- 
ceived my mail ?" She replied, "Yes, my son," and gave 
him the contents of several letters he had received that 
morning. His mother has come to me several times at 
sittings with different mediums in other cities. 

The business I was engaged in at that time took me 
to a neighboring city, and there I met Mr. John D. Arras, 
one of God's noblemen, the soul of honor and an ardent 
Spiritualist for twenty-five years. His wife and self 
were sitting for development to get some phase of me- 
diumship; and here let me say that every man, woman 
and child on earth has these qualities within himself in a 
higher or lower degree, and by developing these latent 
qualities a medium is produced. Some are natural born 
mediums ; never have to sit for development. Mr. J. D. 

283 



Arras and wife sat for development for three years one 
hour each week, in darkness ; put themselves in a passive 
condition, and at the end of three years Mrs. Arras be- 
came a trumpet medium, and Mr. Arras' brother George, 
who had died twenty years previous, was her control. 
Under instruction of her control, they held sittings once 
every week for one year, at which only certain persons 
were admitted. At the end of the year her control said 
to Mrs. Arras, "You are now fully developed, and can 
admit anyone, and will always get facts ; no personating," 

and such was a fact. Mrs. Arras and Mrs. S were 

the best trumpet mediums I ever came in contact with; 
though I must make an exception of a young man at 
C who, I think, was equally as good, and my ex- 
perience with him I will now relate. 

My friend Arras said to me one day, "I know of a 
young man here who is a trumpet talker, a clairvoyant 
and an automatic writer." I replied, "John, I am investi- 
gating this subject and would like to see what he can 
produce." Mr. Arras arranged with him for a sitting 
at his house. The manifestations by trumpet were fine 
and the automatic writing backward was something new 

to me. I will call this young man C , as he might be 

displeased if I gave his correct name. He was certainly 
a wonder. Here was a medium, not a professional, not 
after the dollar. I decided to offer him a position with 
the company by whom I was employed, and while I was 
satisfied he would make a salesman, I did not care 
whether he proved one or not, and offered him a salary 
which I told the Company I would pay, but they would 
not allow me. He proved to be a splendid salesman and 

284 






a fine medium. We used to get the automatic writing 
backward, riding on the train in Ohio. His control was 
his wife's own uncle and a Baptist minister, when on 
earth. 

Mr. C disliked to give sittings for anyone. He 

was not a Spiritualist, but a natural born medium. Many 
times his control threatened him in the following man- 
ner : "C , if you do not give this to the people, this 

that we are trying so hard to do, I will take the power 
away from you." I received valuable information 
through the sittings had with him and we had a great 
many. The manifestations were so wonderful that I 

took him to D > to give a sitting there for my friends. 

At that sitting a number of the sitters' friends and rela- 
tives (spirits) came and talked to them. When a loud 

voice from the trumpet spoke to C , the medium, 

saying, "How are you, C , old boy?" C said, 

"Who is it?" The voice answered, "Jess Weber." C — — 
was so surprised that he said, "Why, Jess, I used to 
correspond with you, but the correspondence ceased three 
years ago." The voice replied, "I passed over (died) in 

a western town three years ago." C said, "You 

must control some one ; you talk so loudly." He replied, 
"I control a medium in San Francisco, and your control 
invited me here tonight to help you out at this meeting." 
C said, "You don't pay any railroad fare." He re- 
plied, "Oh, no, we travel as quickly as thought." C 

said to him, "What was the last trip we took together ?" 
His answer was, "We went fishing at the Reservoir at 
Newark, Ohio." Told him where they hired their con- 
veyance and at what hotel they stopped; in fact, gave 

285 



him the full particulars. Weber continued to. be one of 
C ' s controls while I had sittings with him. 

Some six years after I had employed Mr. C , the 

medium, I met him in Cleveland, Ohio, and asked him 
if he would not give a sitting for a friend of mine who 
had never witnessed trumpet talking. He complied with 
my request, and we had at Mr. Thompson's house about 
fifteen people, among the number being Prof. John Early, 
a fine pianist. I asked the Professor to take his seat at 
the piano and accompany the singing. In a few minutes 
the professor said that the trumpet was on his head. 
We stopped singing and the voice from the trumpet 
spoke to the professor, calling him by his given name, 
"John," and spoke of events that had occurred years ago 
in their past life in Scotland, where his father had died. 
He then said to the Professor, "John, play that old piece 
that we used to play together thirty-five years ago." The 
Professor was so excited, so overjoyed that he had been 
able to talk with his father, that he could not think of 
the old piece for a time. He finally began playing it and 
his father sang it in the trumpet, and an aunt who had 
died in Scotland, came and sang with them independent 
of the trumpet. The other sitters very nearly all had 
communications from their friends who had passed to 
the other life and all were delighted with the sitting. 
Space will not permit of my giving account of many 

sittings with Mr. C , for I have other sittings of 

which I wish to speak that are even more wonderful. 

I will give you an account of a sitting with Mrs. Arras 
that was wonderful indeed. A lady spirit spoke through 
the trumpet and requested that Mr. Arras deliver a 

286 



message to a cousin of hers. Mr. Arras said he would 
certainly carry out her wishes. The spirit said, "I lived 

at M , in Michigan, with my aunt. At my aunt's 

death I was to inherit the property, and at my death it 
was to go to my cousin. I died on a certain date; my 
cousin does not know it. He is now entitled to the prop- 
erty. He is a traveling man and gets his mail at the 

General Delivery at C . He will be there within two 

weeks." Mr. Arras wrote him, addressing the letter in 

care of the General Delivery at C , and wrote on 

the letter to hold until called for. Within two weeks a 
gentleman called at Mr. Arras' place of business and 
presented the letter and asked him about what he wished 
to see him. Mr. Arras said, "I am a Spiritualist; my 

wife is a medium. Your cousin, Miss , came to one 

of our sittings and told me to inform you that she died 
on a certain date and that you are now entitled to the 
property." He said, "Is that so?" He started to go 
away. Mr. Arras said, "I have just one favor to ask. 
Write me if these are facts." Within a week he received 
a letter from this man saying that his cousin had died 
on that date ; that he had the property and that he was 
going to investigate Spiritualism. I could give so many 
more just such good tests. 

I will now give you my experience with a medium 
whose name I cannot recall. She lives on the north side 
of the Ohio River, opposite Huntington, W. Va. She 
gives trumpet talking in the light. Prof. Hyslop went 
to see this lady about a year and a half ago.. I made a 
trip to see her about six years ago. When I crossed the 
Ohio River on the ferry, the old ferryman told me a 

287 



great deal about her ; that for years he had taken so many 
people across the river to see her ; and of the wonderful 
manifestations they experienced with the trumpet in 
broad daylight. I found the cottage and the lady. 

I told her that I had been informed that she could 
produce trumpet talking in the light and that I should 
like to witness it. She produced the trumpet, which was 
different from those used in a dark circle — not quite so 
long, small at each end and large in the middle. She 
stated that her control had told her how to have it made. 
She asked me if I could play the organ and I replied 
that I could. I played a hymn; she handed me the 
trumpet and said, "J ust P^ ace ft to vour ear «" There 
were three of us in the sitting room, the medium, her 
husband and myself ; they were sitting opposite me ; the 
sun was shining through the window. I placed the trunv 
pet to my ear in an opposite direction from the medium 
and her husband, and my name was called to me in a 
loud whisper. I asked who it was and it replied, 
"George." I asked, "George who?" and it replied, "Your 
brother George." (He had died some six years previous 
and I had communicated with him some four years pre- 
vious.) I asked him a number of questions and he an- 
swered them correctly and I then bade him good-bye. 
The medium's control then talked to me in a loud voice 
quite at length. I said to this lady, "Why don't you go 
out and give this to the people?" She replied that she 
had been a medium since she was thirteen years old (I 
should judge she was then about fifty) ; that so many 
people came to her house to witness manifestations that 
she could not leave home. She also stated that they got 

288 



the trumpet talking out in the yard, any place. She is 
certainly a wonderful medium, and should convince the 
most skeptical. 

I will give two more experiences in trumpet talking. 
Mr. E. Barcus, a prominent gentleman of Columbus, 
Ohio, and a personal friend of Mr. and Mrs. Arras, at- 
tended sittings at Mr. Arras' residence after Mrs. Arras 
obtained the trumpet talking. Mr. Barcus held about 
$180,000 worth of B. & O. bonds on the line running 
from Columbus to Cincinnati, and there were a great 
many more who held these bonds in Columbus. When 
Robert Garret, President of the B. & O., died, the B. & 
O. officials endeavored to force these bond-holders to 
sell their bonds at less than what they had cost them. 
At a sitting one evening at Mr. Arras' residence, Mr. 
Barcus casually remarked what the B. & O. officials 
were trying to do to them. Mrs. Arras* control, Mr. 
Arras' brother George, said "I will bring Robert Garrett 
here and you can talk with him." In a few minutes Mr. 
Arras was talking to Mr. Barcus and he said, "Mr. 
Barcus, as a matter of justice and right, you> should re- 
ceive what you paid for those bonds, and if you will 
follow my instructions you will get what you paid for 
them. I go to the meetings of the Directors and I 
know just what action they will take toward getting 
those bonds." Mr. Barcus talked with Mr. Garrett at 
different times for a year, and the time had arrived when 
something had to be done. Mr. Barcus told Mr. Garrett 
that he would follow his instructions. Mr. Garrett said, 
"Appoint a committee to go down to New York and 
meet the Directors, but do not put yourself on the com- 



mittee, for you will take what they offer, 20 cents on 
the dollar for those bonds. Have the Committee ask 
them 60 cents ; they will offer you 20 cents, but they will 
finally give you 40 cents on the dollar for them." The 
Committee was appointed, took the bonds along with 
them, they were offered 20 cents, the Committee asked 
them 60 cents, and they compromised and received 40 
cents for the bonds, just as Mr. Garrett had told Mr. 
Barcus. After this settlement, Mr. Barcus was talking 
to Mr. Garrett at a sitting with Mrs. Arras. Mr. Barcus 
thanked Mr. Garrett and said that they did not quite 
receive that which they paid for the bonds, 41 cents, but 
he was well satisfied. Mr. Garrett replied, "You have 
received dividends on those bonds for years and they 
were a good investment," etc. 

The Presbyterian Church at the corner of Sixth and 
State Streets, Columbus, Ohio, was for sale, a stone edi- 
fice with a fine pipe organ in it, and they wanted about 
$20,000 for it. They went to Mr. Arras, who was Presi- 
dent of the Spiritualist Society, and wanted to sell it to 
the Spiritualists. Mr. Arras stated that they were not 
in a condition financially to buy it. Mr. Barcus heard of 
it and told Mr. Arras to buy the church and he would 
pay for it and make a present of it to the Spiritualists ; 
that through Mrs. Arras' mediumship he had been put in 
communication with Robert Garrett, and thereby had 
been saved a great many thousand dollars. The church 
was bought and paid for by Mr. Barcus and the Philoso- 
phy is presented to the public on a high plane. It is a 
monument to Mrs. Arras* mediumship and Mr. Arras* 
untiring work in Columbus as President of the Society 

290 






for twenty years. Mr. Arras made the change to the 
other life last December, a year ago; Mr. Barcus, some 
five years ago. I have communicated with Mr. Arras, 
and will relate my experience farther along. 

As stated before, I was located in C for a large 

manufacturing concern for a year, and was then sent to 
Michigan. I received a telegram saying that my brother 
George had died suddenly in Chicago, where he had gone 
to visit his daughter. His home was in New Holland, 
Ohio. The telegram had followed me in my travels and 
I received it too late to attend his funeral. Here was 
a chance to make a splendid test. When I returned to 

D , I invited six people to attend a sitting with Mrs. 

S . None were Spiritualists except the medium and 

none knew my brother George. He was not known in 

D , and New Holland was eighty miles from D . 

At that sitting the trumpet came to me and called me by 
name. I asked who it was, and it replied, "Your brother 
Will." I replied, "I never had the pleasure of your ac- 
quaintance ; you died before I was born." I asked him 
a great many questions relative to our family and he an- 
swered them all correctly. I then casually asked him if 
any of our family had joined him lately, and he replied, 
"Yes, George is here and he will talk to you." I bade 
him good-bye and then George spoke to me. (I always 
put them on the witness stand and my questions are so 
worded that the answers will satisfy me beyond the 
shadow of a doubt that I am talking to the person they 
claim to be.) 

I asked him, "George, where did you die?" He re- 
plied, "Why, Abe, I am not dead." "Where did you pass 

291 



over?" He answered, "In Chicago." "At whose house?" 
"At O — 's house" (his daughter). "Now, George, when 
I talked to you upon this subject six months ago what 
did you call this?" "I called it mind reading. I was 
wrong; I am sorry I did not investigate." Those were 
the exact words he used six months previous when I 
talked with him on the subject. "Now, George, you 
give me my life from the time I went into the Army 
during the Civil War, and I will begin to think I am 
talking to you." (He was in the grocery business and 
the business was conducted in my name on account of a 
previous failure caused by a partner.) He replied, "I 
came up to the store one morning and told you I was 
going to enlist in the Army." "What did I say to you ?" 
"You said you would go instead; that you were single 
and I had a family." "Well, George, I enlisted and was 
gone for three years. How much money did I send 
you ?" "It was not very much," he replied, "one hundred 
and fifty dollars." (That was the exact amount.) "After 
my return from the Army what interest did you give me 
in the store?" He answered, "A one-third interest." 

"Who held the other third?" "Mr. E ." "After we 

had been in business for one year, what proposition did 

you make to me ?" He answered, "You know Mr. E 

was very unsatisfactory to some of our customers, and I 
wanted to buy him out. I told you that I would give 
you each twenty-one hundred dollars for your interest, 
and I would give you the sorrel horse if you would get 

Mr. E to accept the twenty-one hundred dollars, 

and then you could come back with me in the business 
whenever you wished." "Well, George, that deal was 

292 



carried through, and Mr. E and I engaged in other 

business for one year; then, where did I go?" He an- 
swered, "To Illinois. You were ticket agent and tele- 
graph operator at Pana, Illinois, and station agent at 
Kansas, Illinois." And so he continued my life up to 
the time I was talking to him. That brother was dear 
to me ; he was one of the best friends I ever had. 

In the preceding pages of this narrative I spoke of 
J. D. Arras, whom I have known for so many years. 
We had frequently spoken about the other life and we 
agreed that whoever went first should come back and 
greet the other, as we always did in this life. Mr. Arras 
made the change last December. During the month of 
April, I was in Toledo, Ohio, and on Sunday afternoon 
attended a Spiritualistic meeting on Thirteenth St., at a 
church which they own. Mr. Dunniken, the president of 
the Ohio State Association, delivered a fine lecture. At 
the close of the lecture, a lady began to give tests to those 
among the audience. She gave tests to two young men 
who were sitting in front of me, and they were recog- 
nized. She then addressed me and stated that a gentle- 
man standing by my side, and of about my size and age, 
gave his name as J. D. Arras and said, "Old boy, it is 
all right. You remember what we used to talk about. 
It is beautiful here," etc., etc. I thanked him for coming 
to me, and arose and stated to the audience that I did 
not know a soul in the audience, and that was the first 
and only test I had ever received during my investiga- 
tion of Spiritualism, in a public meeting, which covered 
a space of twenty years. 



293 



Talking to spirits over the telephone. 

During the month of June, 1909, I met a magnetic 

healer at a friend's house in the city of D ; he was 

giving the lady of the house treatment for rheumatism. 
I remarked that he must be a medium, else he could not 
make the cures. He answered and said that he had been 
a trumpet medium, and that he had to give it up in order 
to give magnetic treatments; that he could talk to his 
friends in spirit life over the telephone wires, when they 
had the automatic 'phones (no exchange) and he in- 
vited me to come to his office and witness it. I stated 
that I would later on; I did not say when I would go, 
for certain reasons which probably the reader will un- 
derstand, — to make it plain, if I had told the gentleman 
that I would call the next morning, how easy it would 
have been for him to have a confederate at the other end 
of the line. 

I called upon him, unexpectedly, the next morning 
and stated that I would like to witness this phenomena. 
There were no patients in the office, and we sat down 
near the telephone. He said, "We will see if we can get 
anything; some weeks they call me two or three times." 
We sat for five minutes talking on other subjects, and 
presently the bell rang, and the healer put the phone to 
his ear and I heard a child's voice say, "How do you 
do, papa? I heard you and this gentleman talking yes- 
terday, and he said he would like to hear the talking 
over the 'phone, and I have come this morning to show 
him we can do as you said." I took the receiver and 
placed it to my ear and said to her, "This is wonderful. 
I predicted ten years ago that we would be talking to 

294 



those in spirit life over the wires, and here it is." She 
replied by saying that she could "talk to papa whenever 
she wanted." I thanked her and handed the receiver 
back to the healer, and he asked her "if mamma was 
going to talk to him," and she replied, "Not this morn- 
ing," and he bade her good-bye. 

The magnetic healer gave me permission to write this 
up for the paper, and use his name. I have not done so 
in this instance, as I do not wish to do anything that 
would injure his business; for he has a great many 
patrons who are orthodox, and who have been cured of 
ills that the flesh is heir to, and if they knew he was a 
Spiritualist medium, they would have nothing to do with 
him. He is a very estimable gentleman, and any reader 
of this book can have his name and address by writing 
to me. 

I could relate my experience at hundreds of trumpet 
circles in different cities, with different mediums. I 
have used every means at my command to arrive at 
facts relative to the truth or falsity of Spiritualism, and 
I can honestly say that it is an absolute fact. You can 
communicate with your friends, the so-called dead. The 
Psychical Research Society in this country, and in for- 
eign countries, are investigating this philosophy, and the 
time is not far distant when science will say it is true. 
In fact, all of our scientific men now say it is true. 

And now, kind reader, I will bring this to a close. I 
can hear some say, "If I had witnessed such phenomena 
as those produced at Farmer Riley's house, I would be- 
lieve in Spiritualism." You can witness them by going 
to his home, and if the distance is not too great, he might 

295 . 



go to your home. I sincerely hope that Mr. Riley may 
be permitted to remain on earth many years yet, and con- 
vince many thousands more of this grand truth. 

In conclusion, dear reader, should you decide to in- 
vestigate this subject, do so seriously and honestly. If 
you get an untruth at some sitting, do not let this in- 
fluence you to stop or denounce this beautiful philosophy ; 
continue, and you will get light on the subject, and it will 
be more precious to you than anything else you could 
obtain on earth, for the reason that this life is of few 
days, and the other is for eternity; and when you have 
investigated this subject and have gotten proof beyond 
doubt, as I have, the question is then settled for you, and 
you know what to do that you may inherit the good in 
the other life. 



THE END. 



296 



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